Huntington Students Win Youth Writes Contest Awards

Four creative students attending classes in Huntington UFSD received awards in the 28th annual Huntington Youth Writes contest sponsored by Project Excel.

Councilwoman Jennifer Hebert and Councilwoman Theresa Mari presented the awards for the contest, which is open to those in grades 4-12 who attend classes in a town based school.

The Huntington School District is looking for its students to be strong contenders for contest awards. In its 28 year history the contest has attracted well over 20,000 entries and presented approximately $38,000 in awards to hundreds young people. Many of the honorees have been Huntington School District students.

This year’s contest included prizes at every grade level. The deadline for entries was Friday, February 21 at 5 p.m. There were separate divisions for grades 4-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Categories included poetry, short story fiction and essay. Students were required to submit their own original work.

Every year Project Excel receives an overwhelming number of entries, spanning the depth of emotion, creativity, and imagination.

This year’s honorees from Huntington UFSD include:

• Kellee Benitez, 3rd place 9-12th grade poetry, Huntington High School

• Mildred Hernandez Veliz, 3rd place 9-12th grade essay, Huntington High School

• Genevive Sperzel, 1st place 4-5th grade short story, Woodhull Intermediate School

• Salome` Zuluaga Rivera, 3rd place 4-5th grade short story, Woodhull Intermediate School

The Quiet Corner

By Kellee Benitez

I sit at the edge of the rainbow, where the colors blur and fade.

Everyone shines so certain, while I'm still learning my shade.

They dance in confident rhythm, voices loud, proud, and strong

and though I hum the same melody, it feels like I'm singing it wrong.

I love like the sky loves twilight

not day, not night, something between.

Too soft to be solid, too hidden to be seen.

They say you belong, you matter, and I want to believe that's true

yet my heart whisper in question marks, while my soul waits for proof.

But maybe belonging isn't a crowd, or flags waved high in the sun.

Maybe it's the slow, small knowing that I am enough - just one.

So, I'll keep sitting at the rainbow's edge, where colors quietly bend

and maybe being the "odd one out" is simply where I begin.