Today we’re excited to announce the three students recognized in Junior Scholastic® magazine’s Eyewitness to History Contest!
Each year, Junior Scholastic, the news and social studies magazine for middle schoolers, asks students to interview someone who has experienced a historic event in person, and share that person’s story. Now in its sixth year, the annual competition allows young people to connect with members of their community, and teaches the valuable lesson that history goes beyond what we read in textbooks.
After several weeks of sorting through hundreds of entries from across the country, our editors have selected the winners in this year’s Eyewitness to History Contest!
Taylor Nelson, an 8th-grader in South Park, Pennsylvania, is our grand-prize winner. In her article, “Recalling 9/11,” Taylor interviewed her mother, Janell Nelson, who was working across the street from the Twin Towers on the day of the terrorist attack. For her grand-prize-winning entry, Taylor will receive $500 and have her work published in the April 23, 2017, issue of Junior Scholastic. Read Taylor’s full interview here: https://bit.ly/2ECY4G9.
The first runner-up is Johnny Tebou, a 6th-grader in Miami, Florida. Johnny’s interview featured a fascinating conversation with Tom Nguyen, a friend of his father’s, who fled Vietnam at the age of 15, after the war. Johnny will receive $250 and his work will be published in the April 23, 2017, issue of Junior Scholastic. Read Johnny’s full interview here: https://bit.ly/2HqWnhO.
The second runner-up is Cadence Chiu, a 7th-grade student in San Jose, California. Cadence interviewed her grandfather, Heung Lee, who shared his experiences as a teenager living in Korea during the Korean War. Cadence will also receive $250, and her work will be published on the Junior Scholastic website. Read Cadence’s full interview here: https://bit.ly/2qrepsf.
Congratulations to Taylor and her teacher, Jim Levdansky; Johnny and his teacher, Anais Rosales; and Cadence and her teacher, Jennifer Dodge! Thank you to all of the students who entered this contest—as well as the interviewees who shared their powerful stories.
