Six Chippewa Valley high school students have been chosen by the Mahmoud S Taman Foundation as the winners of its 2018 essay contest on “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.”
The contest, open to students in grades 9 through 12, sought essays running 1,000 to 1,200 words that focused on global citizenship, civil society and diversity in the context of Chippewa Valley communities.
The winning essays were written by Abagail Opsal, a 2018 graduate of McDonell Central Catholic High School in Chippewa Falls; Megan Hu, a rising senior at Eau Claire Memorial High School; Mingyu (Michael) Liu, a rising junior at Regis High School in Eau Claire; Nati Raehl, a 2018 graduate of Regis; Wyatt Eiden, a 2018 graduate of Chippewa Falls Senior High School; and Regina Gravrok, a rising senior at Holy Family Home School in Eau Claire.
Dr. Thom Chisholm, a member of the Foundation’s board of directors, said in a press release that “the six student winners represent thoughtful and dedicated youth leaders in our community” and expressed the Foundation’s commendation for their work.
An excerpt from Hu’s essay highlights the essence of the contest, according to the press release:
“Looking across the Chippewa Valley, closest to home is my high school’s changing face. For an uncomfortably long time, Memorial has been a place where diversity and its celebration has quite simply not been a reality. I stand as part of the 13% of our student body that is a racial minority. In 2018 on Martin Luther King Day, Memorial High School hosted the first Diversity Day in its history. We lent our voices to poems, spoke to an auditorium of our classmates, and got over our fears of being different to sing songs of peace. We worked our hardest, not to erase each of our rich identities but to celebrate them.”
Contest details
The contest drew some 45 entries, which were judged by a panel made up of Foundation board members plus additional members who were added because they are teachers or have experience in judging essays. Each winning author received a cash prize of $200 or $300.
Students entering the contest were asked to write about one of four general questions, or to combine any of the topics as they wished. The questions, in slightly abbreviated form, were:
- What does racial, gender and cultural diversity mean to you and how does it manifest itself in the Chippewa Valley?
- How have contributions of immigrant communities (e.g., Latino, Hmong, Somali, Bosnian) impacted the Chippewa Valley?
- How has the Islamic religion integrated itself positively into modern American culture and society? What is the history of the Chippewa Valley Muslim community and how has its presence enriched the local culture? and
- How are the goals of the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights relevant to your local community, and how can Chippewa Valley high school students work to forward its ideas?
The winning essayists
Hu, a rising senior at Memorial, plays flute in band and orchestra, has acted as a coordinator for Women’s March Wisconsin, and regularly volunteers at the Bolton Refuge House. She said she entered the essay contest because she was excited to see not only acceptance, but also promotion, of diversity, and she welcomed the challenge to write about something she deeply cares about.
Hu wrote that she believes her community is in the process of actively growing to reach a warmer, more inclusive future. Her plans after high school are to attend college and she is currently searching for a field of interest. In her lifetime, she said she hopes to take an active part our communities’ journey to become more diverse, inclusive places.
Raehl, a 2018 Regis graduate, said he entered the contest because, as an African-American immigrant, he thought he had something to add to the conversation. He came here from Ethiopia when he was five years old, and wrote that he believes the Chippewa Valley has been a welcoming community.
Raehl, whose high school hobbies and activities have included playing football and tennis, plans to study sports management at the University of Minnesota, He said that in his lifetime, he wishes to find a fulfilling job, raise a family and give back to his community.
Liu is a rising junior at Regis whose hobbies are tennis, playing clarinet in band, and participating in mock trial. Liu wrote that he wanted his essay to express his belief in the importance of diversity in today’s world and added that he believes his community is a place where everyone belongs.
Liu said he plans to pursue higher education and hopes to make a change in the world for the better.
Opsal is a 2018 McDonell graduate whose hobbies and activities include volleyball, basketball, reading, writing, baking and spending time with friends and family. She said she entered the essay contest because she strongly stands with the Foundation’s mission and believes that people in the Chippewa Valley are always willing to help one another.
Opsal plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to major in biochemistry. She hopes to complete a Ph. D. in pharmacy, and to leave a positive impact on every person she encounters in her life.
Eiden, a 2018 Chippewa Falls High School graduate, enjoys stacklining (rope balancing), and the outdoors. He said he believes the Chippewa Valley is full of amazing people who change the lives of others.
Eiden plans is to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue an education in one of the medical fields. He wrote that he wishes to help as many people as he can in his lifetime.
Gravrok is a rising senior at Holy Family Home School who won the Lake Hallie Optimists essay contest last February. She plays the piano, competes in speech and takes taekwondo. Her future plans include pursuing a degree in business and finance.
Gravrok wrote that she believes diversity is the key to a strong community and the Chippewa Valley showcases this diversity. She said she hopes her life will be full of fulfilling quality relationships.
The Taman Foundation’s mission includes promoting a more racially and ethnically diverse and inclusive environment in the Chippewa Valley. More information about it is available at mstamanfoundation.org
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