The Lake Gaston Area Links Incorporated sponsored a special essay contest for the 10th grade students of Southeast Collegiate and Prep Academy.

The event was held Tuesday and was created to motivate students to strengthen their writing skills as they prepare for the end-of-grade writing exam.

Southeast principal Kenneth Perry approved and supported the writing initiative, working alongside 10th grade English teacher Marva  Samuels, who encouraged students throughout the process. Additional guidance was provided by Eva Settles, who assisted students as they prepared their essays.

To support the writers, students received an evaluation rubric and a comprehensive review writing packet. 

Jackie Ruffin-Pittman offered a writing workshop that included sample essays, contest rules, and expectations. This year’s contest theme focused on unity and creativity.

A panel of Halifax County librarians — Barb Valdes, LaTarsha Thomas-Debro, and Tiffany Deckard — served as judges for the competition, reviewing the students’ submissions.

Front row to back from left: Natale, Williams, Neville, Valdez, Deckard, Thomas-Debro, Settes, and Perry.

The winners

First place: Qua’Dreiz Neville, who won $50

Second place: Brianna Natale, who won a $35 Chick-fil-A gift card 

Third place: A’Dariah Williams, who won a $15 Chick-fil-A gift card. 

Each student was also given certificates.

Members of the Lake Gaston Area Links present at the event included President Edna Williams, Arts Facet Co-Chair Marion Barnes, and Arts Facet Chair Ruffin-Pittman.

Encouraged by the success of the contest, Southeast Collegiate and Prep Academy’s 10th grade students will continue developing their writing skills. 

Their next project will be a collaborative English class assignment in which students write reviews of selected books.

The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in1946. 

It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer organizations committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African American and other people of African ancestry.