Youth / News for the 18-and-under crowd

Three junior high school students won first place honors in a recent essay contest sponsored by the American Assn. of University Women.

Todd Kirschen, Tim Kelsey and Sebyul Chun were cited for their essays on American poet Emma Lazarus, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and teacher Anne Mansfield Sullivan, respectively.

Lazarus, who died in 1887, is best known for her sonnet “The New Colossus,” which is inscribed on a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty.

Roosevelt, who died in 1962, was the widow of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and widely acclaimed for her dedication to humanitarian causes.

Sullivan, who died in 1936, was the teacher of Helen Keller, a deaf and blind woman whose determination and accomplishments became known worldwide.

The winners of the contest each received $25.

Second-place finishers were Paul Nagel of Ladera Vista; Terrie Sharman of Nicolas; and Helen Roh of D. Russell Parks. Nagel and Roh both wrote about pioneer aviator Amelia Earhart, and Sharman wrote about Eleanor Roosevelt.

Contest officials said the purpose of the competition is to promote students’ knowledge of of noteworthy women and their achievements.