NJ Hall of Fame Annual Essay Contest
The New Jersey Hall of Fame sponsors an annual essay contest open to all New Jersey students in grades 4 through 12. Students can nominate potential inductees, living or deceased, whether someone famous or an ordinary person who did extraordinary things. The next contest begins in January 2012.
Co-sponsored with the NJEA and Comcast, the Hall of Fame Essay Contest solicits entries in January of each year. A panel of teachers reads the essays and selects the best ones in each of two categories: middle school and high school. The Hall of Fame wishes to thank Dawn Hiltner and the following teachers for giving their time and expertise evaluating the 2011 submissions: Deborah Eddy, Nancy Greener, Brenda Brathwaite, Sally Blizzard, Annette Kuehn, Lynn Cianci, Edwina Rhue, Sue Brashier, Susan Jaysnovitch, Richard Dixon and Donna Delmoro.
Annual New Jersey Hall of Fame Essay Contest Announced
Who belongs in the New Jersey Hall of Fame? The New Jersey Hall of Fame wants your students to participate in the decision making process. New Jersey public school students are invited to participate in fifth annual Hall of Fame Essay Contest. Students are asked to nominate potential inductees – living or dead – to the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Nominations can include famous people as well as ordinary citizens who do extraordinary things. Students should research or interview, if possible, the person they wish to nominate and write an essay no longer than 500 words.
Essays must be typed and double-spaced. The student must include his/her name, age, grade level as of April 20, 2012, address, phone number, parent/guardian’s name, school name, and school district. If the essay is a school project, the student should also include the name of the teacher who assigned the activity. Nominations must be postmarked by April 20, 2012to be eligible. Send entries to NJ Hall of Fame Contest, NJEA, 180 West State Street, PO Box 1211, Trenton, NJ 08607-1211, Attn: Dawn Hiltner.
Entries will be divided into two age categories: Intermediate (grades 4 through 8) and High School (grades 9-12). Entries will be judged by a panel comprised of NJEA and New Jersey Hall of Fame representatives. Winners will be notified in mid-May. The winning students and three guests plus their teachers and a guest will be invited as VIP guests to the New Jersey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in early June at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. They will walk the red carpet with the stars, enjoy premium seating and attend a private party after the show. In addition, the winners will receive a check in the amount of $500.00.
The winning students’ nominations will be forwarded to the New Jersey Hall of Fame Academy for consideration. The Academy, comprised of 100 of New Jersey’s most prominent organizations, ethnic groups and media outlets, will review nominees and ultimately select Hall of Fame nominees to be put forth for the public vote in the fall. NJEA serves on the Voting Academy.
Previous Essay Contest Winners
Samantha Messer
Samantha Messer is an honors student at Randolph High School. She is a varsity cheerleader, secretary of the Investment Club, co-founder of the Operation Smile club, and life-long Girl Scout. When not in school, Samantha enjoys travelling, gymnastics, and spending time with family and friends. She hopes to make her mark in business and is thrilled about winning the NJ Hall of Fame contest. She dedicates this award to her grandfather, Sol Messer, who was her inspiration for the contest. Her teacher was Dr. Andrew Buchanan.
Kiara Ryan
An honor student at Hillsborough Middle School, Kiara has been a two-year member of the Student Leadership Corp. She plays violin in the Advanced Orchestra and participates in choir and chorale. She also plays soccer for HMS and the club team. Community service includes helping at soup kitchens, Justiceworx and activities with persons with special needs. Outside of her continued obsession with Harry Potter (& Glee), she absolutely loves the stage! She loves to spend time with family, especially sisters Emma and Alanna, and hanging out with friends. Her essay was a glowing tribute to her mother, Maggie Ryan. Her teacher was Ms. Dina Veltri.
Adam Basciano
An honor student at Randolph High School, Adam Basciano wrote about Arielle Wisotsky, a student from Basking Ridge, who started Help Darfur Now, an organization which has raised more than $500,000 for the victims of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. In addition to being a good student and playing on the school baseball team, Adam is very involved with community service projects and aspires to become a doctor. His teacher was Dr. Andrew Buchanan.
Dylan R. Jinks
Southern Regional Middle School honor student Dylan Jinks nominated Martin Truex Jr. for the Hall of Fame because of philanthropic work in the service of children. When not studying, Dylan is an avid sports fan. He plays both lacrosse and football and collects sports cards. He says his favorite teams are the New Jersey Devils and the New Jersey Nets. His teacher was Mr. Jason Lister.
Kiera O’Gorman
A top student at Memorial Middle School in Point Pleasant, Kiera nominated novelist Judy Blume in her essay written for Mrs. Ellen Keelan’s Language Arts Class. Kiera was also a winner this year of a national writing contest sponsored by Scholastic Books. Out of more than 1,000 entries, the judges voted Kiera’s as the most representative of the spirit of the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
Rebecca Guzman
An honor roll sophomore at Belleville High School, Rebecca distinguished herself out of the thousands of essays submitted this year. Writing for Mrs. Suzanne Lewandowski’s English Class, Rebecca wroth persuasively and effectively to nominate Richard and Maureen Kanka to the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
Emily Tu
Fair Lawn resident and Thomas Jefferson Middle School student Emily Tu wrote her prize winning essay for Mrs. Maria Wheeler’s Seventh Grade English Class. Not only is Emily an honor student, she is a medal-winning competitive swimmer and polished violinist and flutist.
Joanie O’Sullivan
Now a senior at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung, Joanie wrote her prize winning essay about 9/11 hero Todd Beamer for Mrs. Erin Adler’s history class. A top all-around student, Joanie was responsible for creating a computer lab for a school in the Philippines. She plans to attend George Washington University in the fall.
The Board of Commissioners of the New Jersey Hall of Fame salutes the winners of the 2007 Essay Contest.
Brandon Cedeno
West New York resident and Memorial High School student Brandon Cedeno wrote his prize winning essay about his older brother George Cedeno, a four-year U.S. Marine Corps member. As part of Mrs. Myra Schnur’s Freshman English Class assignment, Brandon’s was handpicked by his teacher as one of the best to submit to the competition. Out of more than 1,000 entries, the judges voted Brandon’s as the most powerful and most representative of the spirit of the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
Jessica Cutler
While an eighth grader at the Millstone Stone Middle School, Perrineville resident Jessica Cutler was assigned her essay by her teacher Arlene Agulnick as part of a creative writing assignment. Jessica nominated her grandmother Rita Palumbo in an inspiring tribute to her strength and tremendous spirit. She had the opportunity to read the essay at a press conference with Governor Corzine in October and her grandmother was there to feel the pride in the room. Jessica accepted her award t in memory of Nanny Rita who passed away this winter.
