Bayside Third Grader Wins Essay Contest In Northeast Queens

BAYSIDE, QUEENS – A third-grade student in Bayside won the annual Mother's Day Essay and Poetry Contest, joining three other elementary school winners in the district.

Pierce Zhong, from P.S. 159, submitted an essay about her mother on May 12, and told the story of how the third-grader and her family moved from Shanghai to New York City.

"My mom works long hours to get a lot of money for our family," reads Zhong's winning essay. "My mom works very hard to fulfill me and my sister's dreams, and we also try to help her in achieving her goals."

The contest was hosted by Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein, who represents Bayside. The winner collected essays from students in grades two through five, and chose a winner in each grade.

Roy Park, a second grader in P.S. 130 in Flushing, Katrina Li, a fourth grader in P.S. 115 in Glen Oaks, and Eleanor De Silva, a fifth grader in P.S. 221 in Little Neck, were also the winners.

“Roy, Pierce, Katrina and Eleanor should each be very proud of their well-composed, creative, and award-winning entries. This achievement is shared by their families, teachers and school communities,” said Assemblyman Edward Braunstein.

The winning students received an Amazon gift card and a New York State Assembly Certificate of Merit. All entrants received a participatory certificate.