Centralia School District, Multiculturally Minded announce winners of essay competition at Juneteenth celebration

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The Centralia School District (CSD), in partnership with Multiculturally Minded Lewis County, held an essay competition honoring Centralia’s founder George Washington and announced the winners at the Thursday Juneteenth celebration at George Washington Park.

According to Dr. Jeff Broome, CSD executive director of teaching and learning, 45 students from fifth grade through 12th grade submitted essays about Washington, along with their racial and cultural identities.

The winners were broken up into three groups: fifth and sixth grade, seventh and eighth grade, and ninth through 12th grade.

 

Elementary school

• First place: Giana Garibay, sixth grade, Edison Elementary

• Second place: Jayleen Ayala, sixth grade, Edison Elementary

 

Middle school

• First place: Finley Stidham, seventh grade; and Dylan Mann, seventh grade

 



High school

• First place: Ceiana Arelong, 10th grade

• Second place: Lafel Denetclaw, 10th grade

• Third place: Embry Anna Schluter, 10th grade

• Fourth place: Brylee Lybbert, 10th grade

 

Arelong earned the opportunity to read her essay, which was about the best way to explore family history and how her roots help her identify her history, to the crowd. She explained that she was born in the Marshall Islands and that when she moved to Centralia as a third grader, she entered a “completely different world.”

“It all felt new and unfamiliar. At first, I thought I had to let go of who I was to fit in,,” Arelong read. “But over time, I realized that my culture is something I should carry with me, not leave behind.”

The first-place winner of the high school competition took home a $500 gift card, while the second-place recipient earned a $250 gift card. For the middle school contest, two students split the top prize and received $125. The elementary first-place winner received a $100 gift card, and a $50 gift card went to the second-place student.

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