Essay Contest Winners Awarded at Earth Day Event
Elementary, middle and high school students won awards at this year’s University of Scranton Earth Day Essay Contest. Kneeling in front row, from left: University students Patrick Keehan, Danville;Meg Barr, Lititz; and St. John Whittaker, Scranton. Standing: Mark Murphy, director of sustainability at the University; essay contest winners Lillian Elgayar, Wallenpaupack, who tied for third place in the ninth grade category; Amanda Jane Karpiak, Howard Gardner MIC School, who tied for first place in the eighth grade category; Paige Caskey, Holy Cross High School, who won third place in the 10th grade category; Marina Mann, Holy Cross High School, who won first place in the 10th grade category; and Kylie Engleman, Holy Cross High School, who won second place in the 10th grade category.The University of Scranton received a record-high number of essays from area middle and high school students during its annual Earth Day Essay Contest this spring.
The theme for this year’s essay was “Caring for Earth’s Critters,” and the contest was open to area students in grades seven through 12. University students judged nearly 100 essays submitted, which were also displayed on campus. The essay contest winners were selected by grade level. The winners were awarded medals at an Evening of Environmental Science in the Loyola Science Center in April.
The seventh-grade essay contest winners were: Abigail Silva, North Pocono Middle School, and Maeve Kennedy, Howard Gardner MIC School, tied for first place; Gwendolyn Powell, North Pocono Middle School, and Emily Kessler, Howard Gardner MIC School, tied for second place; Rebecca Smith, North Pocono Middle School, and Mallory Smith, Howard Gardner MIC School, tied for third place.
The eighth to ninth-grade winners were: Evan Jenkins, North Pocono Middle School, and Amanda Jane Karpiak, Howard Gardner MIC School, tied for first place; Elisabeth O’Hora, Riverside Junior/Senior High School, and Josephine Krokus, Howard Gardner MIC School, tied for second; Francesca Matthews, Howard Gardner MIC School, and Lillian Elgayar, Wallenpaupack, tied for third place.
The 10th-grade winners were: Marina Mann, Holy Cross High School, first place; Kylie Engleman, Holy Cross High School, second place; and Paige Caskey, Holy Cross High School, third place.
The 11th to 12th-grade winners were: Liv Damski, Valley View High School, first place; Noah Sherman, Valley View High School, second place; and Alyssa Moran, Valley View High School, third place.
Students from Abington Heights Middle School, Holy Cross High School, Howard Gardner MIC School, North Pocono Middle and High Schools, Riverside Junior/Senior High School, Valley View High School and Wallenpaupack Area High School participated in the contest.
Information about next year’s essay contest will be posted to the University’s Sustainability webpage in January 2020.
The University of Scranton’s Sustainability Office hosted several Earth Day events for the public during the month of April, including an Earth Day Fair, Environmental Art Show and An Evening of Environmental Science at which the winners of the Earth Day Essay Contest were announced. The Evening of Environmental Science featured interactive, hands-on activities for students and demonstrations run by University students, as well as a display of essays submitted for the contest.
