Oakwood High School is celebrating the results of the Washington-Centerville Public Library’s 2021 Dottie Yeck Good Life Essay Writing Contest.

Nine OHS students earned special recognition for placing in the top 26 out of nearly 800 entries.  OHS freshman Taylor Brown placed first and received the top prize of $3,000.  Earning a $750 prize, freshman Gabriella LaPerle earned second place and freshman Aamah Williams placed third and won $300.

The annual writing challenge honors the life of Dottie Yeck, a “champion of children, who believed that one is never too young to have an impact on the world,” according to the WCPL website.  The contest is held each fall and is open to students in grades seven through nine who live or attend school in Montgomery County.  This year’s writing prompt asked students to write a 300-500 word essay describing the writer’s plan to help teens overcome “roadblocks” they may encounter during their teen years.

In addition to the top three writers, six additional OHS students earned Honorable Mention recognition.  Those writers were Wren Rosenberg, Elizabeth Erwin, Tristan Williams, Sophie Schalm, Macy Houdeshell and Phoebe Woods.

You can win the winning essays on the library’s website at https://www.wclibrary.info/gla/winners/