Winners of the 2009 Merlyn's Pen Essay Contest: The Memoir

This Merlyn's Pen Memoir Contest saw nearly 500 entries from across the United States, Europe and Asia, and the editors enjoyed reading all of them. Each piece showed a thoughtful mind at work, and each showed a young person sensitively and often boldly facing the challenges and joys of family, community, and identity. Congratulations to all who chose to enter the contest, and special congratulations to the writers listed below, whose works stood out in a field of strong essays!

 

First Place: Senior Division (Grades 9-12)

"A GIFT," BY JULIA ENTHOVEN, Grade 10, The Hockaday School, Dallas, Texas

 

READ "A GIFT"

 

Second Place: Senior Division

"GONE AWAY GOLDEN FLIES," BY JEEYOON CHOI, Grade 11, St. Mary Academy - Bayview, Riverside, Rhode Island

 

 

First Place: Middle School Division (Grades 5-8)

"EAGLES AND MICE," BY DAVID RATHMANN-BLOCH, Grade 6, The Nueva School, Hillsborough, California

 

READ "EAGLES AND MICE"

 

Second Place: Middle School Division

"BARRETTES AND NAP-NAPS," BY BRANDY ORTH-BECKER, Grade 8, James Graham Brown School, Louisville, Kentucky

 

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by author)

"THE SECRET FOREST," by Leyla Akay, Grade 7, Bilkent University Preparatory School, Ankara, Turkey

 

"THE DOLPHIN," by David Rathmann-Bloch, Grade 6, The Nueva School, Hillsborough, California

 

"MARIE'S DAY," by Mattie Bono, Grade 6, Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tennessee

 

"CONFRONTING CALLOUSNESS," by Erica Eisen, Grade 9, La Jolla High School, La Jolla, California

 

"SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI," by Erica Eisen, Grade 9, La Jolla High School, La Jolla, California

 

"WEDNESDAY," by Alexandra Gutowski, Grade 12, Mount Saint Dominic Academy, Caldwell, New Jersey

 

"E FOR LIFE CHANGING," by Lara Herreid, Grade 8, Zundy Jr. High School, Wichita Falls, Texas

 

"UNDER THE MAGNOLIA TREE," by Kathryn Jones, Grade 10, Keystone Oaks High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

 

"DON'T CRY FOR ME . . . ," by William Kolb, Grade 8, James Graham Brown School, Louisville, Kentucky

 

"MY MOUNTAIN CLIMB," by Jennifer Kuo, Grade 12, Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School, Rockville, Maryland

 

"BLACK POOL CHASM," by Maeve McGovern, Grade 12, Stowe High School, Stowe, Vermont

 

"ACCEPTANCE," by Joan Russoniello, Grade 11, Lancaster Catholic High School, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

 

"TO UNDERSTAND," by Joan Russoniello, Grade 11, Lancaster Catholic High School, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

 

"BIRD'S EYE VIEW," by Jahnavi Shriram, Grade 7, Westbrook Intermediate School, Friendswood, Texas

 

"LOST LEGEND," by Lucia Tang, Grade 12, Cedar Park High School, Cedar Park, Texas

 

"SNAPSHOT," by Nicholas Vera, Grade 11, Hamilton High school, Chandler, Arizona

 

Keep writing, and stay tuned for the next Merlyn's Pen writing contest. Please call 1-800-247-2027, or email merlyn@merlynspen.org for more information.