UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Being honest with children, enjoying the simple things in life and understanding mental illness were the themes of the winning essays of Penn State New Kensington’s “This I Believe” contest.
Erin Bruce, a freshman Spanish education major from Kiski Area High School, earned top honors for her essay. Amanda Mazzei, a sophomore science major, took second place, and Jonathan McCabe, a freshman psychology major from Burrell, was awarded third place.
Students submitted 500-word stories that illustrated how their personal beliefs were shaped. The contest, based on the book of the same name, was part of the First-Year Summer Reading program, which encourages reading and critical thinking while providing a shared experience among new students. The essay competition helped celebrate the 10th anniversary of the program. Edited by Dan Gediman, the book is a collection of 60 essays of insights from personal experiences.
“The summer reading program brings new students together in book discussions at orientation to discuss their views,” said Jennifer Gilley, head librarian of the campus’ Elizabeth S. Blissell Library. “This year we got to extend that beyond the discussions into a public forum."
Erin BruceBruce’s essay, “Lunchtime Blues” recalled an early elementary school episode where the Apollo resident spoke out against the quality of her school’s lunches. She composed a letter, co-signed by other students, requesting a meeting with the principal to air her concerns. The principal gave her a forum, listened to the grievances and provided a short primer on the public educational system. He explained that the school was required to adhere to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education and the Food and Drug Administration, which oversaw the school lunch program. Neither he, nor the lunch ladies, could invalidate the regulations. This was the little 7-year-old Bruce’s “This I Believe” moment.
“I didn’t realize then what a valuable lesson he had taught me about being honest with children and not letting them be blissfully ignorant,” Bruce wrote. “It is important for children to understand that the ‘real world’ isn’t perfect. Life cannot be sugar-coated so it’s easier to swallow. Kids deserve to have their opinions heard and valued enough to be given the information they need to prepare themselves for life.”
Amanda MazzeiMazzei wrote about setting aside time for personal needs in “Taking a Break.” In a hectic world where multi-tasking is the norm and new adventures are encouraged, she found out it could be overwhelming and unsatisfactory. While joining numerous clubs and participating in a variety of activities exposed her to new people and new experiences, it didn’t produce the same euphoria of just sitting down and relaxing.
“I realized that I appreciated the free time I had to watch my favorite TV shows, browse the Internet and read,” Mazzei wrote. “I quit a few of the clubs and focused on relaxing a bit more. I found that by doing so, I was more attentive in class, more focused on club meetings and more productive at work.”
Jonathan McCabe“The Unknown Battles” was McCabe’s story of dealing with a mother living with bipolar schizophrenia. When he was an adolescent, her public episodes embarrassed him. As he grew older, he began to understand that she had no control over these outbursts. Today, he stands proud with her as her emotions engulf her, and she fights unknown battles in her head.
“I learned to not be judgmental towards anyone I meet because they could be facing their own unknown battles too," wrote McCabe, a recipient of the campus' Dr. N.A. Kopelman and Freda D. Kopelman Trustee scholarship ."I learned to smile at people who come into my work and look like they are having a bad day. Even if they act grouchy towards me, I just think back towards my mother and how she cannot control her emotions. They could be going through a rough time as well.”
"This I Believe"The contest was held in conjunction with a visit to the campus in September by Gediman. His “This I Believe: Life Lessons” book was selected for incoming students to read over the summer, prior to beginning their collegiate studies.
Essays were judged by the committee of Gilley; Lois Rubin, associate professor of English; and Laurie Durzo, instructor in English and comparative literature. The three winners received gift certificate to the campus bookstore -- Bruce, $100; Mazzei, $50; and McCabe, $25.
"There were a lot of entries, and they were of a very high quality, so choosing was difficult," Gilly said. “These three just stood out to the committee as having a fresh viewpoint in addition to the excellent writing."
The book, available in the Blissell Library, is a part of the “This I Believe” series, which features essays and statements of belief by youths and adults from all walks of life. Whether it’s learning the power of saying hello, listening to your inner voice or discovering the strength that comes from tragedy, the intimate reflections are designed to inspire, move and encourage the reader.
The first book of the series, "This I Believe," was published in 2006 and became a New York Times best-seller in paperback. "This I Believe II," was published in 2008. Two years later, a new series of books was published, each on a particular theme: "This I Believe: On Love" (2010), "This I Believe: On Fatherhood" (2011), "This I Believe: Life Lessons" (2011) and "This I Believe: On Motherhood" (2012).
To view the student essays, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/46093.htm.