University Presents Earth Day Essay Contest Awards
The University of Scranton announced the winners of its Earth Day Essay Contest for students in grade 5. From left: University of Scranton students Amelia Farry, South Abington Township, and Nathaniel Smith, Wilkes-Barre; Earth Day Essay Contest medalists Griffin Maynor, All Saints Academy, Lila Tallo, All Saints Academy, Talia Lameo, All Saints Academy, and Liam Marante, All Saints Academy; and Mark Murphy, director of the Office of Sustainability at the University.Nearly 300 students in grades five to 12 participated in The University of Scranton Earth Day Essay Contest this year. Awards were announced at the University’s Evening of Environmental Science Event on campus in April.
This year’s essay theme was “People’s Planet, Climate Justice.”
Four of the six fifth-grade essay contest winners were from All Saints Academy in Scranton. These students include Lila Tallo, first place; Griffin Maynor, second place; Liam Marante, second place and Talia Lameo, third place. The other fifth-grade winners came from St. Claire/St. Paul’s in Scranton. Brian Clarke won first place and Annie Butler won third place.
The sixth-grade students that took first place in the essay contest were Tommy Killino, from All Saints Academy and Jimmy Doherty, from St Claire/St. Paul’s. The students who won second place were John Paul Kasaczun, from All Saints Academy and Mya DeSantis, from St Claire/St. Paul’s. Receiving a third-place award were Kelly Heffron and Cecelia Gilmartin, both from St. Claires/St. Paul’s.
The first-place winner of the seventh-grade essay contest was Jazleymi V., from Howard Gardner School in Scranton. In second-place was Niko Benko, from All Saints Academy and in third-place was Raeleigh Reiss, also from Howard Gardner.
The eight-grade first-place winners were Mary Guziewicz, from Howard Gardner School and Nethra Purushothaman, from Herndon, Virginia. In second place were Isabella Benjamin, from St Claire/St. Paul’s and Edie Hann, from Scranton STEMM Academy. The third-place winners were Fallon Price, from All Saints Academy and Rebecca Oakes, from Howard Gardner school.
The ninth-10th grade essay contest winners were: Grace Becklish, first place, North Pocono High school; Clinton J Muir, second place, Holy Cross High School; Emma Woody, second-place, Holy Cross High School; and
The 11th-12th grade essay contest winners were all from West Scranton High School. Coming in first-place was Ally Anderson; in second place was Katherine Barnansky and in third-place was Ella Frounfelker.
University of Scranton students who work in the Jesuit school’s Office of Sustainability reviewed the essays submitted, in addition to organizing the award ceremony Nathaniel Smith, Wilkes-Barre, a neuroscience major and member of the University’s Magis Honors Program in STEM and its Undergraduate Honors Program, served as MC for the award presentation. University student Amelia Farry, South Abington Township, also participated in the ceremony. Mark Murphy, director of the Office of Sustainability at the University, has organized the Earth Day Essay Contest for a decade.
Information about next year’s essay contest will be posted to the University’s Sustainability webpage in January 2024.
Below, from left: University of Scranton students Amelia Farry, South Abington Township, and Nathaniel Smith, Wilkes-Barre; Earth Day Essay Contest 6th grade medalists Tommy Killino, All Saints Academy, and John Paul Kasaczun, All Saints Academy; and Mark Murphy, director of the Office of Sustainability at the University. Gallery shows photos from the Evening of Environmental Science.
