$100,000 in Scholarships & Prizes Awarded to Northeast Ohio Students

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Apr 06, 2010, 11:47 ET

Avon Lake High School Student Wins Essay Contest Grand Prize

BEACHWOOD, Ohio, April 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Maltz Museum was full of excitement as the second annual Stop The Hate: Youth Speak Out! essay contest awarded a four-year $50,000 scholarship to Grand Prize winner Andrea Bestor, an 11th grade student at Avon Lake High School. Beachwood High Junior Amnon Carmi and Shaker Heights High Junior Diane Ryu received first and second runner up four-year scholarships, $25,000 and $15,000 respectively. 22 other Northeast Ohio students grades 6-12 received awards at a gala event featuring inspirational remarks from Ted Ginn, Sr. and Museum co-founder Milton Maltz.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100406/DC81980)

1,800 students from seven eligible counties -- Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit -- shared their stories. Nearly half were juniors and seniors eligible for the three scholarship prizes. The top ten finalists, who scored 90% or higher on the written essays, made up less than 1% of the total essays received. Essays were scored on content, originality and creativity and the utilization of the theme of personal responsibility. At the dramatic Awards Ceremony, each finalist read his or her essay aloud for final scoring by a blue-ribbon panel of judges including Barbara Snyder, President, Case Western Reserve University, Felton Thomas, Jr., Director, Cleveland Public Library and Kim Wheeler, Anchor/Education Reporter, WKYC-TV Channel 3. The essays were personal, compelling and powerful, each describing an act of discrimination and the students' innovative solutions for how to overcome hatred and bigotry.

For the second year in a row, Master of Ceremonies Jimmy Malone, radio personality from WMJI-105.7 FM kept the pace lively, and the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School Drumline, Cleveland Metropolitan School District All-City High School Choir and Cleveland School of the Arts Jazz Ensemble provided inspirational entertainment. The sobering film HATE, seen continuously in the Maltz Museum's An American Story, set the stage for the important message behind the competition that we are all more alike than different, and that when we come together as human beings, we can eliminate the prejudice and misconceptions that divide us.

Created by the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, Stop The Hate: Youth Speak Out! asks students to describe an act of discrimination, reflect on their own response and write a 500-word essay with a plan of action to affect change. Essays are then scored on content, writing, originality and creativity, and utilization of the theme of personal responsibility. The contest supports the Maltz Museum mission to build bridges of tolerance and understanding of persons of all religions, races, cultures and ethnic backgrounds. It reflects Jewish values of responsible citizenship and respect for all humanity. Participating in this activity provides students with an opportunity to strengthen problem-solving and writing skills while emphasizing empathy for others.

MALTZ MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE 2010

Full List of 2010 Winners

Grand Scholarship Prize
$50,000 scholarship (up to $12,500 per year renewable up to four years)
Andrea Bestor - Junior, Avon Lake High

First Runner-Up
$25,000 scholarship (up to $6,250 per year renewable up to four years)
Amnon Carmi - Junior, Beachwood High

Second Runner-Up
$15,000 scholarship (up to $3,750 per year renewable up to four years)
Diane Ryu - Junior, Shaker Heights High

7 Honorable Mentions
$1,000 cash prize
Conner DeWeerd - Senior, Brecksville/Broadview Heights High
Tamar Kodish - Senior, Shaker Heights High
Rachel Littler - Senior, Garrett A. Morgan School of Science
Melekte Melaku - Senior, Mayfield High
Brett Musick - Senior, Beachwood High
Jenn Novak - Junior, Brecksville/Broadview Heights High
Mario Pollard - Senior, Cleveland School of the Arts

High School Division-cash prizes
10th grade
$300 First Prize - Laura Milstein, Brush High
$200 Second Prize - Hayleigh Sanders, Olmsted Falls High
$100 Third Prize - Clay McMullen, West Geauga High

9th grade
$300 First Prize - Seth M. Kubaitis, Kenston High
$200 Second Prize - Tyler C. Gamble, Cleveland Heights High
$100 Third Prize - Tiairra Varner, Cleveland Heights High

Middle School Division-cash prizes
8th grade
$300 First Prize - Chidera I. Mgbudem, R. B. Chamberlin Middle
$200 Second Prize - Anna E. Stanton, Rocky River Middle
$100 Third Prize - Holly Krampitz, Rocky River Middle

7th grade
$300 First Prize - Lilly Makee, West Geauga Middle
$200 Second Prize - Shawn Zubek, St. Mary Byzantine
$100 Third Prize - Beka Waterman, Hathaway Brown

6th grade
$300 First Prize - Elizabeth Ye, Orchard Middle
$200 Second Prize - Blaise DeRoberts, Montessori at Holy Rosary School
$100 Third Prize - Gabrielle E. Goodman, North Royalton Middle

About the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage: An American Story

Opened in 2005, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage introduces visitors to the beauty and diversity of that heritage in the context of the American experience, promotes an understanding of Jewish history, religion and culture and builds bridges of tolerance and understanding with people of all religions, races, cultures and ethnic backgrounds. It includes An American Story, tracing Ohio's immigrant history and heritage, and The Temple-Tifereth Israel Gallery, an internationally-recognized collection of Judaica. One admission includes unlimited access.

The Museum was created as a partnership of The Maltz Family Foundation, the Jewish Community Federation's Centennial Initiative and The Temple-Tifereth Israel, with research support from the Western Reserve Historical Society.

SOURCE Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage