Thomas County Central High School has announced its winners and honorable mentions in the school’s portion of the annual Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest.
Ninth grade winner is Cynthia Ramos. Honorable mentions are Alyssa Godwin, Ashlyn ?Weeks, and Mitchell ?Mercer.
“It’s an honor to win such an important and valuable contest,” Ramos said. “I’m happy to know that my story can teach an important law of life.”
Tenth grade winner is Kyle Clark. Honorable mentions are Ashlan Layton and Lynlee Madison Johnson.
Clark wrote about the passing of his great-grandfather and “how keeping someone in your mind keeps them around in some way.”
“His passing really did have ripple effects throughout the family, and I thought that writing on it would not only help my family, but also share a message,” he said.
Eleventh grade winner is Lauren Pearson. Honorable mentions are Christina Maggitas, Chandler Watson, and Marc Rountree.
Pearson also was the overall TCCHS winner.
“It feels amazing,” she said. “I feel very honored, and this means a lot to me to be able to share my story.”
Twelfth grade winner is Ava Glover. Honorable mention is Chelcie Nix.
Glover said it is important for students to learn good writing and grammar skills because “they are highly desirable to potential employers.”
“Being able to write can be the difference between staying stagnant and climbing the corporate ladder,” she said.
TCCHS English teacher Laura Parkerson has Glover and Ramos as students. She is “extremely proud” of her students and said they “are a blessing to have in the classroom.”
“Ava Glover is such an awesome young lady with so many talents,” Parkerson said. “I had the opportunity to teach her both ninth and twelfth grade English and to watch her grow has been such a sweet journey. Cynthia Ramos is aspiring to be something awesome. She works so hard to achieve greatness and I expect nothing less than the best for her future.”
The competition, sponsored by the Georgia Rotary Clubs, is for grades ninth through twelfth. The essay assignment incorporates Core Curriculum Standards and state-mandated character education requirements.
Each essay has to contain a “law of life” as a maxim, saying, or quote, according to the contest manual. An example is, “Slow and steady wins the race.” Essays had to be 500-700 words of original writing based on the student’s own experience and observations. Essays are primarily judged on content and how effectively the writer applied the selected law.
TCCHS English teachers selected the best essays from their classes, and then a panel of teachers picked the top 12 from each grade to send to state competition.
“I am always proud of students who are willing to take life experiences and observations and turn them into a learning experience,” TCCHS English teacher Sharon Davis, the school’s contest chair, said. “These lessons are ones that will be with them for a lifetime.”
TCCHS generated 915 essays and met the requirements to receive cash awards for winners. The school winner will receive $100 and each grade winner will receive $50.
School winners are sent on to the state portion of the Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest. State winners should be announced in April.