Earth Day Essay Contest Awards Announced
The University announced the winners of its Earth Day Essay Contest for students in grades six through 12. This year’s essay theme was “Sustainability for the Earth: Choose it or Lose it” and this year marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.A record number of students in grades six to 12 participated in The University of Scranton Earth Day Essay Contest this year, which also marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The University received nearly 150 submissions from students representing home school, charter schools and private schools, in addition a submission from a student from Singapore.
“The essay contest is a way for young people to learn about sustainability and to research ways to help save our planet,” said Mark Murphy, director of the Sustainability Office at The University of Scranton. “The topics covered in this year’s submissions addressed a wide range of subjects, including: bees, recycling, tree planting, gardens, net zero buildings, animal agriculture, healthy eating, changing habits, electric cars, renewable energy, geo-thermal, eliminating plastic straws, single use products, plastic-free packaging, fossil fuels, reducing food waste, clean water and littering. Ninety-nine percent of the essays showed a very positive attitude from our participants. It is this positive attitude that will help save our planet.”
This year’s essay theme was “Sustainability for the Earth: Choose it or Lose it.”
Winners of this year’s Earth Day Essay Contest were announced on Earth Day, April 22, via The University of Scranton Sustainability Office Facebook page.
The sixth-grade essay contest winners were all from Bay Academy in Brooklyn, New York: Brianna J. Huang, first place; Alexia Matskevich, second place; and Stephen Tharian, third place. The seventh-eighth grade winners were: Susan Arp, seventh grade, home school, Clarks Summit, first place; Hasaan Mahmood, eighth grade, Bay Academy, Brooklyn, New York, first place; Joshua Manukov, eighth grade, Bay Academy, Brooklyn, New York, second place; and Dina Vistman, third place, and Ioane Kharebava, third place, both from Bay Academy, Brooklyn, New York.
The ninth-10thgrade essay contest winners were all in 10th grade at Holy Cross High School. The students were: Molly White, Scranton, first place, and Mariah Mancuso, Dunmore, first place; Julia Goetz, Old Forge, second place; and Kaitlyn Idhaw, Clifford Township, third place and Autumn Niemiec, third place, Moosic.
The 11th-12th grade essay contest winners were Chan Kia Meng Charles, grade 12, Dunman High School, Singapore, first place; Lauren Wolstenholme, grade 11, Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, Fallowfield, second place; Rebecca Cruciani, grade 12, Wyoming Seminary, Scranton, third place.
Information about next year’s essay contest will be posted to the University’s Sustainability webpage in January 2021.
