01/12/2010
Winners named in Martin Luther King Jr. writing contest
PITTSBURGH (January 13, 2010) - Citizens Bank today announced the winners of the ninth annual “Expressions of Freedom” writing contest. The winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Monday, January 18 at 5 p.m. at the August Wilson Center. Citizens will also provide free admission to the August Wilson Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on that day for “Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the August Wilson Center.”
Participants were asked to write an essay based on the famous “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Each winner will receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond from Citizens Bank and the opportunity to record select portions of their essay for broadcast on KISS-FM or WPXI-TV throughout February in honor of Black History Month. Pittsburgh Public Schools, the New Pittsburgh Courier, WPXI-TV and KISS-FM are co-sponsors for the event this year.
“We continue to be surprised and delighted by the quantity and quality of the students’ essays. Their entries demonstrated not only excellent grammar and writing skills but a true understanding of Dr. King and his message,” said Ralph J. Papa, Chairman of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. “We are inspired to see that Dr. King’s legacy lives on through the younger generation. We would like to give special recognition to the Pittsburgh Public Schools and its teachers for encouraging the students to participate in the contest and learn more about Dr. King’s accomplishments.”
All schools listed below are Pittsburgh Public Schools. The 62 winners in alphabetical order are:
| Name |
School |
Name |
School |
| Gina Ambrogio |
Allderdice |
Tyrone Maddox |
Manchester |
| Yazmin Bennett-Kelly |
Schiller |
Sharaya Massey |
Fulton |
| Sakina Blackman |
Perry |
Riley McKown |
Concord |
| Jai’Von Bottoms |
Montessori |
Lucy Merz |
Colfax |
| Madison Conner |
Banksville |
Luke Miller |
Schenley |
| Jacob Crum |
Greenfield |
Lyniece Milliones |
Fulton |
| Premier Daniels |
Manchester |
Aisha Osonduagwuike-Vaughns |
Arsenal |
| Rachel Deis |
Obama |
Michael Phillips |
Manchester |
| Katie Dodd |
Langley |
Yasmine Pipkins |
Fulton |
| Trevon Dunning |
Fulton |
Damon Reft |
Grandview |
| Patrick Evans |
Allegheny |
Dalezsa Regan |
Lincoln |
| Jeremiah Evans |
Fulton |
Tyrone |
Ripley Milliones |
| Matthew Flaig |
Concord |
Thomas Rone |
Classical |
| Ahmad Foreman |
Fulton |
Taleisha Royster |
Westwood |
| Lauren Gallagher |
South Brook |
Carter Sincere |
Fulton |
| Perry Glover |
Fulton |
Elijah |
Smith Murray |
| Tyah Hardeman |
Liberty |
Roshele Smith |
Johnson Milliones |
| Marvin Harden |
Manchester |
Gregory Steinert |
Carrick |
| William Hargrow |
Manchester |
Samantha Steppling |
South Hills |
| Mayah Harr |
Montessori |
Michael Tambellini |
Brookline |
| Elias Hartshorn |
Arsenal |
Josh Tarun |
Greenfield |
| Emmett Hollingshead |
Sterrett |
Tiara |
Travis Sunnyside |
| Erika Jefferson |
Fulton |
Amara Tunstalle |
Sunnyside |
| Yasamin Johnson |
Rooney |
Dana Vidic |
Gifted |
| Anthony Jones |
Stevens |
Sherdina Waymer |
Fulton |
| Monet Jones |
Fulton |
Monet Wilkins |
Fulton |
| Siarria Jones |
Milliones Ta'Quawn |
Williams |
Fort Pitt |
| Lee Jordan Dilworth |
Timeka |
Woods |
Milliones |
| Virginia Kane |
Fulton |
Dale Woodson |
Milliones |
| Adero Kauffmann-Okoko |
Minadeo |
Robert Wright |
Manchester |
| Jessica Keller |
Obama |
Adam Zell |
CAPA |
This year a judging panel reviewed a record-breaking 1,100 entries. Contest winners from the categories of elementary and middle school will be invited to record portions of their essays at KISS-FM. High school category winners will have an opportunity to record portions of their essays at WPXI-TV. The announcements will run throughout February in honor of Black History Month.
Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said, “Educating our young people today requires the cooperation and assistance of the entire community. We are extremely grateful to Citizens Bank, the New Pittsburgh Courier, WPXI-TV and KISS-FM for providing our students this wonderful opportunity to express themselves through this fun, exciting and educational exercise.”
“The educational value of the Expressions of Freedom writing contest is immeasurable,” said Rod Doss, Editor and Publisher, New Pittsburgh Courier. “In addition to helping the students better comprehend the visions and ideals of Dr. King, it also encourages students to develop critical thinking skills and utilize the fundamentals of grammar and writing.”
“Dr. King was an educator, a leader and a masterful communicator,” said Ray Carter, General Manager, WPXI-TV. “In the spirit of this great orator, some of the winning students will have a chance to demonstrate their communications skills by recording their essays in our studio. In continuing with the study of Dr. King, we hope the students walk away from this experience with an understanding of why it was important for Dr. King to use the mediums of television and radio to distribute his messages.”
The writing contest was created to provide an extracurricular educational program for students in Pittsburgh Public Schools. It recognizes outstanding achievement in writing skills, historical accuracy, creativity and substance.
Students were asked:
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. Write a short essay that demonstrates how you and other young people can fulfill Dr. King’s dream.
About Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania
Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is a state-chartered bank with dual headquarters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It has 383 branches and 646 ATMs throughout Pennsylvania. It also operates 15 retail branches and 64 ATMs in southern New Jersey and a commercial loan office in Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $151 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I.
Citizens Financial Group, through its subsidiaries, has more than 1,500 branches, and approximately 3,500 ATMs and approximately 22,600 employees. CFG's two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. CFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. CFG is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).
