12 NYC winners of Presidents Day Essay contest announced
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) recently announced a dozen winners -- six from Staten Island and six from Brooklyn -- of her 2023 Presidents Day Essay contest.
“My office received over 500 submissions to our Presidents Day Essay Contest, more than double the amount we received last year,” Malliotakis said.
Staten Island and Brooklyn elementary school students in grades three through five were invited to write an essay about what they would do to improve their community if they were president of the United States.
“While each submission is more than deserving of recognition, our winners, many of whom are first-generation Americans, went above and beyond to provide thoughtful, unique ideas as to how they would make our community a better place to live, work and play,” Malliotakis said.
According to the congresswoman, the students wrote about ways to confront bullying, make food and shelter more affordable, keep our communities clean and safe, and visit nursing homes to spend more time with seniors.
First- and second-place winners received gift cards to Barnes and Noble for their work, and they were invited to attend a reception with the congresswoman to share their ideas.
“It was a pleasure to meet these bright, young students and listen to their ideas -- I hope they continue to advocate for the issues most important to them as they continue their education,” Malliotakis said.
Here are the winners of the Presidents’ Day Essay contest.
Staten Island Winners:
3RD GRADE:
· 1st place: Isabella Valenzano - Our Lady of Good Counsel
· 2nd place: Gladymar Vicente Millan - Our Lady of Good Counsel
4TH GRADE:
· 1st place: Matthew Benowitz - P.S. 42
· 2nd place: Karissa Ottomanelli - P.S. 56
5TH GRADE:
· 1st place: Veronika Seborga - Our Lady of Good Counsel
· 2nd place: Alexia Intravaie - P.S. 42
Brooklyn Winners:
3RD GRADE:
· 1st place: Celeste Zhu - St. Athanasius Catholic Academy
· 2nd place: Sara Dervishi - P.S. 127
4TH GRADE:
· 1st place: Nicholas Squicciarini - St. Patrick’s Catholic Academy
· 2nd place: Hunter Ambrose - Good Shepherd Catholic Academy
5TH GRADE:
· 1st place: Sarah Bettache - P.S. 185
· 2nd place: Dominic Vangeli - St. Bernadette Catholic Academy