WRITE YOUR HERO CONTEST WINNERS
13 - 18 category
First Place:
Briones, 17
James Baldwin
“James Baldwin is my civic hero because he has taught me that the beauty of American identity lies both in... the collective and individual; the complicated and straightforward; the perfect and imperfect; the terrible and great.”
Read Briones's story about James Baldwin.
Second place:
Maia, 17
Muriel Rukeyser
"Discovering Muriel Rukeyser and docupoetics was discovering a way writing could be important, could be part of a real cause…She had carried her cause off the page. It was mine, now, mine to care for and yell about."
Read Maia's story about Muriel Rukeyser.
Tied for Third Place:
Anisha, 17
Kailash Satyarthi
"By working to liberate children from labor, Kailash Satyarthi not only provided almost 90,000 children with a plan for education but also inspired other young people, like me… my fight for social justice has just begun.”
Read Anisha's story about Kailash Satyarthi.
Tied for Third Place:
Adriana, 15
Edith Windsor
“Every mountain she climbed, every taunt she ignored, every time she was brave enough to share her truth, Edie Windsor was standing up for kids like me--for queer Jewish kids in America.”
Read Adriana's story about Edith Windsor.
8 - 12 category
First Place:
Mila, 9
Grandpa
"What would the world be like if there were no civic heroes?...In Lebanon, refugees will not have someone to support them if it wasn't for my grandpa...Not many people know about my grandpa. Heroes do not need to be recognized."
Read Mila's story about her grandpa.
Second place:
Lydia, 10
Yu Gwan Sun
"My superhero, the martyr Yu Gwan Sun, was an average person and her special powers were bravery and perseverance. She saw her parents get killed but that only motivated her. She wouldn’t stop after being arrested."
Read Lydia's story about Yu Gwan Sun.
Tied for Third Place:
Julia, 12
John Krasinski
“My family suffered from a death due to COVID-19. We really needed and craved some good news… John Krasinski has shown us, lending someone a listening ear, or simply being kind, is more than enough.”
Read Julia's story about John Krasinski.
Tied for Third Place:
Zyah, 9
Tamika Mallory
“Tamika Mallory has inspired me in so many ways. To say what needs to be said, whether everyone agrees with you or not. Show empathy because that's how you connect with people... I am human but I am also enough.”
Read Zyah's story about Tamika Mallory.