Committed to Radiant Peace

Sixth Annual Peace Essay Awards
(1996-97 School Year)
List of Winners

Table of Contents

National Winning Essays

First and Second Grades

First Place

Dana de la Garza, Grade 1, age 6
Freddy Gonzales Elementary, Edinburg, TX

Second Place

Brian J. Bateman, Jr., Grade 1, age 7
Our Lady of Calvary School, Philadelphia, PA

Third Place - (tie)

Andrea McCrary, Grade 2, age 7
Lehigh Elementary, Lehigh Acres, FL

Brennan A. Cox, Grade 1, age 6
Cross of Christ Lutheran School, DeSoto, TX

Third Through Sixth Grades

First Place

Ronald DeCosta, Grade 4-5, age 9
P.S. 108, M.M.H., New York, NY

Second Place - (tie)

Patrick McClave, Grade 6, age 11
St. Andrew Catholic School, Coral Springs, FL

Esbertha Lewis, Grade 4, age 9
Clara Muhammad School of S.Florida, Miami, FL

Third Place - (tie)

Caroline R. Pace, Grade 6, age 11
Our Lady of Hope/St. Luke, Baltimore, MD

Cindy Tourmo, Grade 6, age 11
Gibraltar School, Fish Creek, WI

Florida Winning Essays

First and Second Grades

First Place

Ashton Symonds, Grade 2, age 8
Oak Hill Elementary, Orlando, FL

Second Place

Andrea McCrary, Grade 2, age 7
Lehigh Elementary, Lehigh Acres,FL

Third Place

Hannah Cosner, Grade 1, age 6
Pensacola Beach Elementary, Pensacola Beach, FL

Third Through Sixth Grades

First Place - (tie)

Kali Baker, Grade 4, age 10
Frantz School, St. Augustine, FL

Caitlyn E. Register, Grade 4, age 9
Altamonte Elementary, Altamonte, FL

Second Place

Patrick McClave, Grade 6, age 11
St. Andrew Catholic School, Coral Springs,FL

Third Place

Staci Edelstein, Grade 5, age 10
Coral Gables Elementary, Coral Gables, FL

Regional Winning Essays

First and Second Grades

Region 1 - (tie)

Brian J. Bateman, Jr., Grade 1, age 7
Our Lady of Calvary School, Philadelphia, PA

Marie Sweeney, Grade 1, age 6
Our Lady of Calvary, Philadelphia, PA

Region 2

Johnny Nelson, Grade 2, age 7
Gibraltar Elementary, Fish Creek, WI

Region 3

Angelica Anderson, Grade 2, age 7
Brookmeade Elementary, Memphis, TN

Region 4

Brennan A. Cox, Grade 1, age 6
Cross of Christ Lutheran School, DeSoto, TX

Region 5 - (tie)

Hailey Messick, Grade 1, age 6
Nuestro Elementary, Live Oak, CA

Haley Williams, Grade 2, age 7
Nuestro Elementary, Live Oak, CA

Third Through Sixth Grades

Region 1

Derek Colletti, Grade 6, age 10
Our Lady of Hope/St. Luke, Baltimore, MD

Region 2

Cindy Tourmo, Grade 6, age 11
Gibraltar Elementary, Fish Creek, WI

Region 3

Alexander Kaine Fulton, Grade 4, age 9
W.O. Parmer Elementary, Greenville, AL

Region 4 - (tie)

Angela Hardy, Grade 5, age 10
McKamy Elementary, Carrollton, TX

Derek Carlson, Grade 5, age 11
Freddy Gonzalez Elementary, Edinburg, TX

Region 5 - (tie)

Katie Paine, Grade 5, age 10
Nuestro Elementary, Live Oak, CA

Kris Burleson, Grade 6, age 11
Nuestro Elementary, Live Oak, CA

Special Projects

Atlanta First and Second Grades

Olympic Theme: "What I Learned about Peace from our Olympics"

First Place

Dexter Montgomery, Grade 2, age 7
C.R. Drew Elementary, Atlanta, GA

Second Place

Amanda Clark, Grade 2, age 8
Anne E. West Elementary, Atlanta, GA

Third Place

Marquez Wilson, Grade 2, age 7
Anne E. West Elementary, Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Third through Sixth Grades

Olympic Theme: "I Keep the Olympic Flame of Peace Alive By . . ."

First Place

India Allen, Grade 3, age 8
Cleveland Elementary School, Atlanta, GA

Second Place

Jonathan Green, Grade 3, age 9
Cleveland Elementary School, Atlanta, GA

Third Place

Shelton Davis, Grade 3, age 8
C.R. Drew Elementary, Atlanta, GA

Special Projects

The Benjamin School

North Palm Beach, Florida

First Place
Amanda Newman, Grade 5, age 11

Second Place
Laura Davis, Grade 4, age 9

Third Place
Michael Miltenberger, Grade 5, age 10

Special Projects

Our Lady of Calvary School

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

First and Second Grades

First Place
Janina Lamb, Grade 1, age 6

Second Place
Marie Sweeney, Grade 1, age 6

Third Place
Brian J. Bateman, Jr., Grade 1, age 7

Third through Sixth Grades

First Place
Stephanie Ubele, Grade 6, age 11

Second Place
Timothy Lezama, Grade 5, age 9

Third Place
Kathryn Herens, Grade 3, age 8

Special Project Schools

Vance Elementary School

Vance, Alabama

First Place
Ronnie Hunter, Grade 2, age 8

Second Place
Kimberly Frazier, Grade 2, age 7

Third Place
Allen Smith, Grade 5, age 11

Special Project Schools

Nuestro Elementary School

Live Oak, California

First and Second Grades

First Place
Shaness Gidel, Grade2, age 7

Second Place
Lenora Carter, Grade 1, age 6

Third Place
Patrick Capaul, Grade 2, age 7

Third through Sixth Grades

First Place
Kris Burleson, Grade 6, age 11

Second Place
Nedjo Spaich, Grade 5, age 11

Third Place
Sheena Sharma, Grade 5, age 10

Special Project Schools

Arcata School District

Arcata, California

Sunset School of the Arts

First Place
Jennifer Hosley

Second Place
Tristan Mansson-Perrone

Third Place
Kristin Blakely

Sunny Brae Middle School

First Place
Joel Reber

Second Place
Gabriel Frachon

Third Place
Lucas Ketelle

National Honorable Mentions
First and Second Grades

Angelica Anderson, Second Grade, age 7, Brookmeade Elementary, Memphis, TN - Region 3.
Hannah Cosner, Second Grade, age 7, Pensacola Beach Elementary, Pensacola, FL - Region FL
Ellen Diltz, Second Grade, age 7, Gibraltar Elementary, Fish Creek, WI - Region 2
Behram Khan, Second Grade, age 7, Robert Fulton School, Brooklyn, NY - Region 1
Michael Robert Joseph, First Grade, age 6, Robert Fulton School, Brooklyn, NY - Region 1
Hailey Messick, First Grade, age 6, Nuestro Elementary, Live Oak, CA - Region 5
Johnny Nelson, Second Grade, age 7, Gibraltar Elementary, Fish Creek, WI - Region 2
Ashton Symonds, Second Grade, age 8, Oak Hill Elementary, Orlando, FL - Region FL
Haley E. Williams, Second Grade, age 7, Nuestro Elementary, Live Oak, CA - Region 5

National Honorable Mentions
Third through Sixth Grades

Kali Baker, Fourth Grade, age 10, Frantz School, St. Augustine, FL - Region FL
Jason Bowman, Sixth Grade, age 11, Arvida Middle School, Miami, FL - Region FL
Michael Brown, Fifth Grade, age 10, Epiphany School, Normal, IL - Region 2
Kris Burleson, Sixth Grade, age 11, Nuestro Elementary, Live Oak, CA - Region 5
Derek Carlson, Fifth Grade, age 11, Freddy Gonzalez Elementary, Edinburg, TX - Region 4
Derek Colletti, Sixth Grade, age 10, Our Lady of Hope, Baltimore, MD - Region 1
Staci Edelstein, Fifth Grade, age 10, Coral Gables Elementary, Coral Gables, FL - Region FL
Alexander Kaine Fulton, Fourth Grade, age 9, Parmer Elementary, Greenville, AL- Region 3
***Arturo Garcia, Sixth Grade, age 11, Sudderth Elementary, Monahans, TX - Region 4
Phoebe Guenzel, Sixth Grade, age 11, Gibraltar School, Fish Creek, WI - Region 2
Angela Hardy, Fifth Grade, age 10, McKamy Elementary, Carrollton, TX - Region 4
***David Mensching, Third Grade, age 8, Port St. Lucie Elementary, Port St. Lucie, FL - Region FL
Michael Miltenberger, Fifth Grade, age 10, The Benjamin School, N. Palm Beach, FL - Region FL
Jesse Murschel, Sixth Grade, age 12, Brorson School, Sydney, MT - Region 4
Morgan Raskin, Sixth Grade, age 11, Crighton School, Colts Neck, NJ - Region 1
Caitlyn Register, Fourth Grade, age 9, Altamonte Elementary, Altamonte Springs, FL - Region FL
Douglas Scott, Fourth Grade, age 9, Challenger 7 Elementary, Port St. John, FL - Region FL
Ryan Tomczewski, Sixth Grade, age 11, Our Lady of Hope, Baltimore, MD - Region 1
Richard Withers, Fifth Grade, age 10, Quail Summit Elementary, Diamond Bar, CA - Region 5

*** Indicates Additional Creativity Award

Florida Honorable Mentions
First and Second Grades

Hiba Ali Faouri, First Grade, age 6, Islamic Academy of Florida, Tampa, FL
Lashawndra Tanner, Second Grade, age 7, Oak Hill Elementary, Orlando, FL
Sheila Vecchione, Second Grade, age 8, Port St. Lucie Elementary, Port St. Lucie, FL

Florida Honorable Mentions
Third through Sixth Grades

Lyndsey Basile, Fifth Grade, age 10, J.R. Brooker Elementary, Brandon, FL
Ned Bonnette, Third Grade, 8, Apollo Beach Elementary, Apollo Beach, FL
Elizabeth Bringardner, Sixth Grade, age 11, Pine Ridge Middle School, Naples, FL
***Shari Collie, Fifth Grade, age 10, John Young Elementary, Orlando, FL
Raymond Felix, Fifth Grade, age 10, Lakeview Elementary, St. Cloud, FL
Cassandra A. Fischer, Fifth Grade, age 11, Lakeview Elementary, St. Cloud, FL
John Grieff, Sixth Grade, age 11, Sarasota Christian School, Sarasota, FL
Ryan Hutchinson, Fifth Grade, age 11, J.R. Brooker School, Brandon, FL
Mallorie Kanter, Sixth Grade, age 12, Oak Hall School, Gainesville, FL
Kathryn Lee, Fifth Grade, age 10, J.R. Brooker School, Brandon, FL
Taylor Loar, Third Grade, age 8, St. Mary School, Fort Walton Beach, FL
Anthony McCrary, Fourth Grade, age 9, Lehigh Elementary, Lehigh Acres, FL
Morgan McKown, Fourth Grade, age 9, St. Martha's School, Sarasota, FL
Vanessa McNeely, Fourth Grade, age 9, Mims Elementary, Mims, FL
***David Mensching, Third Grade, age 8, Port St. Lucie Elementary, Port St. Lucie, FL
Kaitlin Ponce, Third Grade, age 9, Our Lady of Lourdes, Melbourne, FL
***Thomas Robinson, Sixth Grade, age 11, Arvida Middle School, Miami, FL
Douglas Scott, Fourth Grade, age 9, Challenger 7 Elementary, Port St. John, FL
Andrew Stone, Sixth Grade, age 11, King Middle School, Milton, FL
Garrett Sutula, Fourth Grade, age 9, Oak Hill Elementary, Orlando, FL
Star Dawn Verosic, Fifth Grade, age 10, Moon Lake Elementary, New Port Richey, FL
Katie Winkler, Fifth Grade, age 10, Pine Grove Elementary, Delray Beach, FL
***Elliot Winston, Sixth Grade, age 11, Alexander School, Miami, FL
Erica Woodard, Fifth Grade, age 10, J.R. Brooker School, Brandon, FL

*** Indicates additional Creativity Award