VAN NUYS, N. HOLLYWOOD : Valley Students Take Top Essay Prizes
Students from Van Nuys and Walter Reed middle schools are among the finalists in an essay contest on the topic of multicultural diversity.
Van Nuys Middle School’s Teda Arunyut, 13, and Linsay Hurwitz, 13, took first and third, respectively, in the middle school division of the contest sponsored by the Los Angeles Unified School District, Yoshinoya Beef Bowl restaurants and Reiyukai America, an organization that promotes multicultural understanding. Teda was given $150 for her first-place essay.
The essays were written as letters to the students’ own parents on the subject of improving communication and relationships. Julie Munjack, 14, of Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood took second place.
“Our relationship is very important to me, not only now, but for the rest of my life,” Julie wrote to her mother. “I feel it is important for us to communicate and in order to do that we must compromise. I will help you as much as I can, and put my best effort into showing you exactly how I feel about you, also what happens to me.”
The grand prize winner of the essay contest, Jessica Castaneda, 17, of Wilson High School in Los Angeles, was awarded an all-expense paid trip to Nepal.
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