Sixteen State Finalists have been chosen in the 2015 Laws of Life Essay Contest, four of whom are students in the Westerville City School District. Walnut Springs Middle School students Emma Best and Ellis Blackstone, taught by Janice Hill, were selected, along with Kylie Collins (taught by Stacey Dettwiller) from Genoa Middle School and Andrew Rubadue (taught by Candace Shicks) from Heritage Middle School. Blackstone was the program cover design winner. Contest coordinator for Westerville was Jill Smith, the district’s Secondary Language Arts/Social Studies Coordinator. Westerville’s middle school Laws of Life contest is facilitated through the Gifted Education Department.
All finalists and their parents will be invited to an awards reception on May 14 at the Highlights Building in Grandview, during which time cash prizes and certificates will be distributed, and state winners will be announced.
The Laws of Life Essay Contest, created in 1987 by Sir John Templeton, inspires young people of all backgrounds and abilities to focus on their values and principles by challenging students to discover through reflection and writing the principles, people, and experiences that have helped to shape their life. The contest offers students the opportunity to take a stand for what they believe in.