This year’s essay prompt
Kindly respond with a short essay on the following quote “Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
One essay was selected to receive $1,000.00. Congratulations to: Alessandra Truglia
Honorable Mention Essays
with a $500 scholarship
Deanna Malvesti
Lucy Peters
Luke Richardson
Katelyn Whelan
(This was read aloud at the Awards Ceremony)
Roy T. Bennet says, “Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” This quote resonates with me in many ways in terms of how I view life. My dad, who is my biggest role model, always tells me to be grateful for what I have and to always try and be positive even when things don’t seem to be going my way. He has helped me to get through so much and has influenced my mindset greatly. Throughout my life, I constantly consider my future and where my place is. I always question whether I am doing the right thing, or if I could do more and be better. I spend a lot of time acknowledging these thoughts and sometimes it can be overwhelming and over complicated. However, when I interpret Roy T. Bennet’s quote, I am able to take a step back and consider the bigger picture. As both he and my dad imply, just being present where you are in life and being grateful for what you already have is so simplistic yet so important. Thinking along the lines of this attitude helps me to better my outlook on life. So, I try to always remember to be thankful for the opportunities I have been given and to appreciate the present. Whenever I face hardship or am affected by any inconvenience, I tend to consider the fact that anything can happen at any moment and that you have to make the most out of it. In addition, you never know what anyone else is going through and this is where kindness, compassion, and truthfulness matter. Although sometimes overbearing to think about, the values expressed within Bennet’s phrase allow me to gain perspective on how short life is and that I must always incorporate positivity, kindness, and mindfulness into all aspects of my life.
Congratulations to the following students who received EM20 Awards
Tony Alibrandi
Sean Angellis
Amelia Donovan
TD Doty
Hailey Gould
Brennan Minucci
Tyler Sordillo
Mattie Tuchmann
Caleb Whelan