Maryknoll Magazine Announces 2011 Student Essay Winners

Six middle and high school students representing Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania, have received cash awards for their winning submissions in Maryknoll magazine’s 23rd annual Maryknoll Student Essay Contest. Maryknoll magazine is published by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, the overseas mission society of the U.S. Roman Catholic Church. 

The assignment for the 2011 contest, Jesus and Bullying, asked students to recount an incident from their lives, or describe an experience of someone they knew, that involved bullying. The students were required to ponder what they thought Jesus would have said to all the people involved in the incident.

More than 7,400 entries were received from students who competed in two divisions (grades six to eight and grades nine to 12) for nearly $3,000 in cash prizes. The awards include $1,000 for each of the two first place finalists, $300 for each of the two second place finalists and $150 to each of the two third place award recipients.

The essays written by the first place winners in each category will be published in the May/June 2012 issue of Maryknoll magazine. All winning essays will be published on the Maryknoll website within the next few months.

“We were delighted with the overwhelming number of essays submitted and deeply moved by the personal stories students shared,” said Margaret Gaughan, managing editor, Maryknoll magazine and coordinator of the annual student essay contest. “What impressed us most were the Christian values these young people exhibited in coping with hurtful situations. Their insights on following Jesus in the face of adversity offer powerful lessons to all of us.”

The 2011 Maryknoll Student Essay Contest Awards will be presented to: 

Division I (grades six to eight)

First Place ($1,000): The Bishop Francis X Ford Award is named in honor of the Maryknoll priest who died in a prison in China during 1952. 

• Zachary Moorman (eighth grade), St. Peter School, Huber Heights, Ohio. Teacher: Mrs. Bridget Funke.

Second Place ($300) 

• Tori Carroll (seventh grade), St. Christina School, Chicago, Illinois. Teacher: Mrs. Patricia Bresnahan.

Third Place ($150) 

• Julia Beu (eighth grade), Holy Family Catholic School, Orlando, Florida. Teacher: Ms. Mary McCrory.

Division II (grades 9–12) 

First Place ($1,000): The Bishop Patrick J. Byrne Award is named for the missioner who died on a forced march in Korea during 1950.

• Semaj Moore (11th grade), DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Teacher: Ms. Tricia Lyngen.

Second Place ($300)

• Matthew O’Brien (12th grade), Bethlehem Catholic High School, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Teacher: Mr. Robert Gowell.

Third Place: $150

• Anna Lampe (11th grade), Vincentian Academy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Teacher: Ms. Judith Apple.

The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers follow Jesus in serving the poor and others in need in 28 countries that include the U.S. All Catholics are called to mission through baptism and confirmation, and Maryknoll’s mission education outreach in parishes and schools throughout the country engages U.S. Catholics in mission through vocations, prayer, donations and as volunteers. Maryknoll missioners share God’s love and the Gospel in combating poverty, providing healthcare, building communities and promoting human rights. For more information, visit the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers at http://maryknollsociety.org and follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MaryknollNews .