Character Counts! Contest Winners Announced in Gaithersburg

It’s the 20^th anniversary of CHARACTER COUNTS! in Gaithersburg. To celebrate the anniversary, more than 420 students participated in an essay, photo, and poster contest recognizing the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

Contest winners and honorable mentions will be recognized at a special CHARACTER COUNTS! in Gaithersburg on May 3 at Gaithersburg Middle School from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This event is open to the public.

Below is a description of the contest theme and list of winners:

This year’s poster contest, “Caring and Citizenship in my Community,” was open to Gaithersburg area elementary and middle school students. 331 students submitted entries.

Winners

Noor Akhtar                       1st Grade                           Goshen Elementary School

Chéhed Asheer                  3rd Grade                          Brown Station Elementary School

Stephanie Cedillos            5th Grade                          Washington Grove Elementary School

Gustavo Diaz                     4th Grade                          Thurgood Marshall Elementary School

Erlinda Diaz-Sanchez      3rd Grade                         Thurgood Marshall Elementary School

Methmi Dias                      8th Grade                         Gaithersburg Middle School

This year’s photo contest, “Caring and Citizenship in my Community,” was open to middle and high school students.

Winner

Rachel Coates                   12^th Grade                            Gaithersburg High School.

The “Adult Heroes in Our Community” essay contest, co-sponsored by the Gaithersburg Rotary Club, was open to elementary and middle school students. 89 participants wrote about someone who has had a positive, personal influence on their lives, tied to the Six Pillars of Character.

Winners:

Ben Levine                         3rd Grade                         Washington Grove Elementary School

Carlos Quinonez               5th Grade                           Brown Station Elementary School

Maya Stewart                    4th Grade                           Strawberry Knoll Elementary School

Brian Amugi                       7th Grade                           St. Martin of Tours School

Andrew Dris                      7th Grade                            St. Martin of Tours School

Colleen McNulty              7th Grade                            St. Martin of Tours School

Information about the yearlong anniversary celebration and the winning posters, essays and photo can be found online at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

About Mitti Hicks

Mitti Hicks is a multimedia journalist and community engagement specialist with Montgomery Community Media. She is passionate about telling stories that impact our community and may be reached at MHicks@mymcmedia.org and on Twitter @mittimegan.

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