Youth: Essay Winner Announced

Al Valdez, a junior at Malibu High School, has been named winner of the “Freedom, Our Most Precious Heritage” award by the Optimist Club of Malibu.

Valdez, whose essay was among 143 entries, addressed the value of freedom and its importance in a democratic society.

“Freedom is a commodity we take for granted, yet our ancestors were willing to give their lives to obtain it. . . . We must defend it against hatred, racism and greed and ensure that our children know it in even greater measure than we do,” the Malibu resident wrote in his winning essay.

Valdez was to be awarded a $500 savings bond, a medallion and a certificate at an Optimist Club breakfast meeting Thursday at Pepperdine University. Malibu High School juniors Alexis Sherwin and Heidi Huffman were to receive bonds of $400 and $300, respectively, for finishing second and third.