WRITE ON'S 2004 ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS!!!

All I have to say is. . .WOW!!! I received a record number of entries for Write On's third annual essay contest, and needless to say it was a very difficult decision. The topic was "How will you change the world?" and I was truly inspired and touched with the passion and enthusiasm of our youth. The future is in good hands!

I want to thank everyone who took the time to enter Write On's 2004 Essay Contest. You are all very talented -- keep writing! And be sure to check out my first EVER short story contest -- I can't wait to read more of your writing!

Congratulations to the winners! Read on for their amazing essays and prepare to be inspired. . .

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FIRST PLACE
Chelsea Smith
Fifteen years old
Eleventh grade

"Small Favors"

Changing the world is something that will not come from preaching or lecturing. It has to start small and then grow. I witnessed this firsthand when I volunteered at the Infant Crisis Center on October 17, 2003 with three of my good friends. The ICS is a nonprofit agency funded by private donations. They aid in giving food, diapers, clothing and hope to children and parents in need. We matched, folded, sorted and hung clothes for what seemed like hours. We worked in the warehouse the majority of the time, as clients shuffled in and out of the front of the building. I longed to be out there. I peered out every once in a while and observed the impact the other volunteers were making on people's lives, but I felt inadequate. Then a woman with short dark hair came into the warehouse and said, "There's a premature baby girl out there, and she is absolutely tiny."

I stopped for a moment to take it all in. Parents, mostly mothers, scattered around looking for clothing and toys while children played with each other. I saw the charming crib where the premature baby was sleeping and looked in. Once I saw that tiny child, my heart sunk in despair. Her petite fingers wiggled, revealing the smallest amount of life. When I looked into her crib I realized why I was there. I became conscious of my meaning; I knew why I was brought to the Infant Crisis. I realized the one-on-one impact is just as important as all the behind-the-scenes work. Even though I made little physical interaction with the clients, I made an equal influence. The tiny child made a major impression on me, one that I will continue to strive to make on someone else.

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SECOND PLACE
Lucas Mignone
Sixteen years old
Eleventh grade
Westchester Manhattanville Magnet Academy
Harrison, New York

If you ask most people how they will change the world, they say things like end world hunger or bring world peace. I won't say that because unfortunately I don't have the power to do so by myself. Instead, I will change the world by providing a good example to other people.

I am from Brazil, and moved to America when I was six years old. I remember hearing so many good things about this country. However, as I grew older I found out that although this is a great country, some of those good things were very hard to get. Being an immigrant, getting what I wanted has been and will continue to be hard and involve a lot of work. I feel that most immigrants come here thinking that they will never been able to achieve their goals, and I want to provide a positive example to them and prove to them they can. I have been fortunate enough to come to this country and be able to go to a great school and have the chance to go to college soon. I want to show others that it is possible to do something great with your life, even if you are an immigrant. It will take a lot of work and it might now work out at first, but it will all pay off in the end.

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THIRD PLACE
John Qiu
Thirteen years old
Eighth grade
Franklin, Tennesse

To change the world, all I have to do is say something nice to someone else, like "good job" or "nice work." Because if I do something nice, then the person I complimented might do the same to other people, which would spread the happiness I started and make the world a better place.

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HONORABLE MENTION
Carmen Quan
Eighth grade
Hamiliton, Ontario (Canada)

The world is ours to discover. In order to discover this wonderful place we all call home, we must ensure everyone can be free. Child labor laws stop many people from making their dreams happen. Whether your dreams are to visit somewhere or be something, dreams are something we all have in common. But the path is hard. Child labor laws stop many people's dreams, and instead lead them down a path of horror in which day by day they work and work. Kids grow up with dreams -- my dream is to be an author. I might not reach that goal, but I know I've tried and that already makes me happy. But some kids have a dream they can't even try to reach; some might never reach the point of trying.

I live in Canada, a wonderful country with a law against child labor. In order to change the world I would put an end to this horrible system some people call "employment". I would first write up letters to local papers to get my city concerned. Though my country is against child labor laws already, some people have relatives in third world countries who they can help do something about it. I personally have cousins in Asia who could help spread this news around also.

I am lucky to be in Canada, but some aren't so lucky. I wish they could be -- I don't know how I would feel to be one of those many kids who work and work day and night. I will make the world a better place. As Ontario's motto states: "Yours to discover."

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HONORABLE MENTION
Briyyah McClain
Fourteen years old
Ninth grade

In this world, the only thing constant is change. It is up to the ones who dwell in this place we call Earth to change it for the best. We have already scarred its ground, filled its sky with haze, cleared it of love and filled it with hate. It will take the efforts of all the people in the whole world to make the world a place of paradise, but if someone must take the initial step forward I willingly volunteer.

There is nothing wrong with the actual earth today; it is the people who are the cause of its future corruption and destruction. Being a human being I would beging to change the people of the world through the only language we humans seem to understand: the harsh truth. For through my words I can capture the world with stories of heartache, war, loss, pain, peace, happiness, and all the things that make life the ultimate experience. These lessons will be hard to dismiss from memory and will lave a lasting impression on the minds of the world's people.

Once the attention of the world is gained, people will see that though we are all different we are all alike at the same time. We are all in search of the same things and we can all help each other to reach our goals. We will unify and lead generations that follow to a place of peace, a place where freedom is held from captivity and where kindness and giving are acts of love. Poverty will be unknown and the whole world will be on one accord. The world will change for the better and I will be a part of that change.

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HONORABLE MENTION
Ngan-Kieu Bui
Twelfth grade
Wichita High School North
Wichita, Kansas

One can change the world through a simple action. I think I can change the world by simply being who I want to be when I grow up and doing good deeds for people in my environment. Being a successful person will give me the ability to help, if not totally change, some people's lives for the better.

My goal is to attend medical school and graduate with a degree in Pharmacology. By achieving this goal, I will have made my parents' and my dream come true and that is part of my plan to change the world. I want to make the world a brighter place full of happiness, and the first step is making my parents happy by doing what they want me to do.

After I graduate, I will work to have financial stability. I know that money is not everything in this world, but without money I cannot do much to improve things. Money is a means to help orphans and people struggling with poverty. People need money to buy clothes, food, and other necessities of daily life, and with a secure financial situation I will have the ability to have them. Furthermore, I will help people in other countries too because I know there are many nations, such as Vietnam, Mexico, and countries in Africa, that really need financial support so they can build shelters and food.

I can bring delight to people around by donating my money to charity and helping to give others better lives. I want to share my joy with the world and light up the lives of thsoe people who are suffering.

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HONORABLE MENTION
Dontay Hall
Sixth grade
Mableton, Georgia

"My Wish"

I dreamed I was a king
I wore a crown and ring
I was so smart and wise
I made Earth a paradise.

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HONORABLE MENTION
Amanda Moore
Thirteen years old
Eighth grade

As I grow up I see the world through simple eyes and have simple visions. No goal I have ever had has impacted me as much as my goal to let my name be known and my face be famous. My mother and father insist that I have a gift of art, and I hope to use my gift to make people happy. In the future I hope the change the world for the better. Like anyone else, I want to end world hunger, start world peace, and most of all, try to help everyone in the world see that everyone is equal: the poor, the rich, all different religions and nations. It is my long-term goal, but first I want to grow up and learn all that I can learn. That's how I hope to change the world.

2003 Essay Contest Winners