AILF Creative Writing Contest Winners
Today, the American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF) announced Olivia Chiu, 11 of South Pasadena, CA, as the first place winner of the 2009 “Celebrate America” Creative Writing Contest. Olivia’s submission was selected from thousands of creative entries submitted nationwide. Olivia, a fifth grader at Monterey Hills Elementary School in
For the past 12 years, fifth graders write creative entries on the theme “Why I’m Glad America is a Nation of Immigrants.” The contest encourages youth, families and surrounding communities to evaluate and appreciate the effects of immigration in their own lives.
Olivia’s essay will be printed in the Congressional Record, a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in her honor, and she will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for four to Las Vegas, where she’ll recite her essay at the American Immigration Law Foundation’s Annual Benefit on Friday evening, June 5.
The 2009 Celebrity Judging Panel included Pulitzer Prize winning author, Junot Diaz, Firoozeh Dumas, Senator Edward Kennedy, and the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugee and Border Security Chairman, Senator Charles E. Schumer.
The second place winner is Elise Wang (San Francisco, CA) for “The Way to America” and third place was awarded to Chloe Ding (San Diego, CA) for “A Better Way of Life”. Honorable mentions were awarded to Nigel Castelino (Chicago, IL) for “Why I’m Glad America is a Nation of Immigrants” and Elizabeth Palmer (Queensbury, NY) for “One Heart, One Mind.”
KJ