In celebration of National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week in the City of Gaithersburg,  1,059 students participated in poster and essay contests.  Students in elementary, middle and high school were asked to create written and graphic works celebrating the six pillars of character:  Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.  The winners of the poster and Adult Heroes essay contests were recognized at a public awards ceremony on Thursday, October 20 at Casey Community Center.  Winners of the Foundations for Life essay contest will be recognized at the Mayor and City Council meeting on November 21, 2011.

This year’s poster contest was open to students in Gaithersburg area elementary and middle schools with CHARACTER COUNTS! programs. The contest is co-sponsored by the Gazette Newspapers.  881 entries were received.  The ten winners are:

Shaher Bano, 8th Grade - Gaithersburg Middle School
Vinny Denzel, 3rd Grade - DuFief Elementary School
Dulce Fernandez, 8th Grade - Gaithersburg Middle School
Prince Galley-Etse, 5th Grade - Gaithersburg Elementary School
Woayorm Kumazah, 8th Grade - Gaithersburg Middle School
Maria Kutishcheva, 4th Grade - Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
Anouk Pillai, 2nd Grade - Brown Station Elementary School
Miriam Shah, 6th Grade - Gaithersburg Middle School
Leena Shin, 4th Grade - Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
Jehlani Thomas, 5th Grade - Strawberry Knoll Elementary School

Winner of the special Ruth Minette Helz award, sponsored by Maryland 20878®, recognizing the one poster that best represents the pillar of caring, was awarded to:

Miriam Shah, 6th Grade - Gaithersburg Middle School

Elementary and middle school students also participated in an “Adult Heroes in Our Community” essay contest, co-sponsored by the Gaithersburg Rotary Club.  Participants wrote about someone who has had a positive, personal influence on their lives related to one or more of the Six Pillars of Character.  117 entries were received.  The five winners, all 5th grade students, are:

Kacie Ho, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School - Winning Essay (pdf file)
Lilia Karapetyan, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School - Winning Essay (pdf file)
Rachel Ryan, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School - Winning Essay (pdf file)
Steven Salmeron, Washington Grove Elementary School - Winning Essay (pdf file)
Karly Stepek, Washington Grove Elementary School - Winning Essay (pdf file)

High school students participated in the Foundations for Life essay contest, co-sponsored by the Montgomery Village Rotary Club.  Students selected a meaningful quote, reflected on its meaning, and committed to life strategies incorporating the spirit of the quote.  61 entries were received.  The winning students, all seniors from Northwest High School, are:

Jenna Lichtenberg - Winning Essay (pdf file)
Carolina Martinez-Ramirez - Winning Essay (pdf file)
Natalia Sampaio Moura - Winning Essay (pdf file)
Avinash Satish - Winning Essay (pdf file)
Greg Von Wald - Winning Essay (pdf file)

The posters and essays are on display at Lakeforest Shopping Center through October 28, 2011 and will be displayed at select City facilities throughout the school year.  For more information on Gaithersburg’s CHARACTER COUNTS! programs please contact the Community Services Division at 301-258-6395 x3 or communityservices@gaithersburgmd.gov.