2024 Laws of Life Program

BBB’s Center for Character Ethics Celebrates 15 Years of Laws of Life Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio and BBB’s Center for Character Ethics honored an exceptional group of students at the 15th annual Laws of Life celebration.

From 2,000+ submissions, 16 young writers were recognized for their inspiring essays with special focus on the theme of “accountability,” sharing their reflections on core values and guiding principles. Nearly $2,000 in awards were presented to these students in grades 6, 7, and 8 at a beautiful ceremony at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. It was a heartwarming event with family, friends, and academic mentors gathered to celebrate the bright futures of these incredible young people.

The Laws of Life Essay Contest celebrates students’ core values, ideals, and principles by which we all live. The essay contest focuses on a law of life of the student’s choosing and this year featured a special focus on “accountability.” The contest challenges young people to discover through reflection and writing what matters most to them in their own lives and the principles they believe should guide their behaviors and choices.

The Central Ohio BBB Laws of Life Essay Contest is a competition of the best Laws of Life essays written by middle school students in BBB’s 21-county service area. “Every year the BBB team and Laws of Life judges are amazed with the quality of the student submissions, and this year was no different. The talent of these young student leaders is inspiring to all of us!” said Judy Dollison, President of BBB of Central Ohio.

This year’s essay contest was sponsored by Honda and White Castle.

Please enjoy images and entries from the celebration on the following pages.

About the Contest Better Business Bureau’s Center for Character Ethics embraced the Laws of Life Essay Contest as a vital component in our mission to promote the character development of Ohio’s future leaders. By participating in the Laws of Life essay contest, students have the opportunity to think about their values and reflect on why they are important in a deeply meaningful way.

The Laws of Life program integrates character development into the writing curriculum. It provides students with a compelling reason to write, edit, and revise - all critical components of the writing process. Used as a classroom activity, the essay contest format inspires students and gives them greater motivation to do their best work. Teachers also report that they learn more about their students enabling better relationships and empathy among classmates. Writing a Laws of Life essay can be used to meet Common Core standards, and help students improve composition skills for writing assessments as well as college entrance essays.

Initiated in 2001 as a statewide contest, the 2024 Central Ohio contest was open to students in grades 6-8 in the 21 county Central Ohio BBB service area. Over thirty teachers selected the best of nearly 2,000 essays from 17 schools and submitted them to the contest from which 14 essays and 2 cover designs were selected as winner The Laws of Life Essay Contest is a future leaders program of BBB’s Center for Character Ethics and serves as a model for other BBB’s around the nation.

2024 Laws of Life Award Winners COVER DESIGN WINNERS

6TH GRADE AWARDS

1st Place - Anthony Santos Rios, Dominion Middle School 2nd Place - Jo-Ann Odonkor, St Vincent de Paul

1st Place - Averie Cofie, Blendon Middle School 2nd Place - Bridget Beight, West Muskingum Middle School 3rd Place - Morgan Flaherty, Dominion Middle School

OVERALL BEST ESSAYS 1st Place - Brock Winter, Genoa Middle School 2nd Place - Pricilla, Genoa Middle School 3rd Place - Eli Grissinger, Minerva Park Middle School

7TH GRADE AWARDS 1st Place - Anna Turney, Genoa Middle School 2nd Place - Landon Albertson, Coshocton Junior High School 3rd Place - Laurel Smith, Benjamin Logan Middle School

SPECIAL THEME 1st Place - Sophia Johnson, Minerva Park Middle School

8TH GRADE AWARDS 1st Place - Ava Parry, Genoa Middle School 2nd Place - Joseph Contorno, Ridgeview Middle School 3rd Place - Leah McMahon, Genoa Middle School 4th Place - Kate, Heritage Middle School

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Anthony Santos Rios Grade 6 Dominion Middle School TEACHER: KAMI NOVAK CONTEST COORDINATOR: LAUREN NOBLE

1st Place Cover Contest Explanation This piece of art is meant to show that it is okay to take your own pathway and not follow everyone else. Penguins are the focal point because, typically, they travel together; however, the one penguin creating his own path is meant to show one being true to themselves. Always be your own person and stay true to you.

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Jo-Ann Odonkor Grade 8 St. Vincent de Paul TEACHER & CONTEST COORDINATOR: KATHERINE HUDSON

2nd Place Cover Contest Explanation Accountability is the condition of being responsible. When you are responsible, something that comes to my mind is leadership. Leadership is taking responsibility for something and instructing others, through the good and the bad. That is why I drew the geese flying in a V shape, the one in the front being the leader. Even when the group flies over steep mountains, rocky cliffs, and through bad weather, the leader stays true to the group which it is accountable for.

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Brock Winter Best Overall Grade 8 Genoa Middle School TEACHER: ASHLEY MCFERREN CONTEST COORDINATOR: DEBBIE PELLINGTON

Patience is Bitter, but its Fruit is Sweet.

I used to love hanging out with my Grandpa, we would have the funniest talks, the best laughs, and the greatest moments together. We called my grandpa, Grandpa Cheese, because that used to be one of the only words my brother could say. Cheese and I would spend hours in his workshop, going over the names of his ancient tools and learning how to use them.

One year, I went over to his house to build three new figurines for the growing nativity set I was making. It was the second year we were making figures for my parents and my brother as Christmas gifts, and I was excited to learn more about how to fashion the wood. Cheese took one look at my sketches, took a minute to think about them, and said we could do it. We grabbed the wood and headed down into his workshop. He set the wood on the table and started fastening it to the table so it could be cut.

Halfway through, he handed me the drill. I stood there in silence, but only for a moment. I felt like I was on top of the world. He was giving me a chance to drill! I decided to shrug it off as no big deal, but inside, I was beaming. I walked up to the wood, and Grandpa Cheese handed me a screw. I grasped it between my fore-finger and thumb, and put the drill bit in the head.

I wrenched the trigger, and the screw flew out of the wood, skittering across the table. I must have been as red as the toolbox with embarrassment. But instead of laughing, Cheese grabbed the screw and told me to watch him. His rough fingers skillfully positioned the screw, while his other hand grasped the handle and trigger of the drill. Once the screw was in place, his hand flew up to the top of the drill, and he began to squeeze, gently at first, the screw spinning and spinning until he started the hole. Soon I could see his muscles tense as he pushed against the back end of the drill, driving the screw in. It only took seconds and I was amazed. He offered me the drill again, and I took it. He handed me another screw, and I took that too. I held the screw in place, and put my hand on the back of the drill. Then I began to squeeze, slowly picking up speed until the hole was started. I leaned my body forward and pushed with all my might, driving the screw into the wood. When I was done, I set the drill down and looked at Grandpa Cheese, who gave me one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen. He had been so patient with me. He congratulated me, and went over what I had learned. I felt even better than when he had first given me the drill.

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Next, he got out the jigsaw that he gave me for my birthday, and we started cutting out the figurines. Once all the figures of the three wise men were cut out, I thought we were done.

I grabbed the figures and started heading upstairs so my Grandma could help me paint the figures. But then Grandpa Cheese asked me where I was going. I slowly turned around and saw him holding a new tool. He told me to come back and sit down, because he was going to show me something new, a tool called a file. I planted myself on his stool, and he showed me the different roughnesses on the surface of the file. He picked up a figure and showed me how to run the file up against the wood to smooth it out. I was so excited to try something new! I reached for the file in his hand, but he turned away. I felt awkward, with my hand outstretched in mid-air, when he turned back around holding three more files. He looked at my hand and raised his eyebrows. I retracted my hand and was ready to listen. He went on to show me how each of the files worked, and how to use them. At this point, I was itching to actually use one of the tools, instead of just watching them in action. He asked me if I understood, and I said that I did.

Soon, he gave me a figure to file, while he kept working on his. I loved smoothing the sides and getting rid of the indents the saw had made. However, I soon got tired of the repetitive motion, and I set my figure down, half complete. I heard Grandpa Cheese sigh, clearly realizing I had given up. Five minutes passed where neither of us said anything, and he kept patiently working while I sat, wishing I could leave. Soon though, Cheese looked up from his work and set a finished figurine on his table and my jaw dropped. The gouges and mistakes I had made with the saw were gone, all along the figure, smooth edges rolled onto more smooth edges that lined the outside of the figure. I was amazed. He calmly asked me “Are you done?

Or do you want to try again?” That was all he said. At that moment, I learned a very important lesson, far better than how to file wood. I learned that patience is the single most important word that has ever been spoken. I learned that without patience, my finished product would look bumpy and half complete. I picked up my half finished figure, looked Cheese in the eye, and said “I’ll try again.” He smiled one of his smiles that made you feel like a bright summer day, and said okay. He picked up the last figure and a file. He gave a file to me, and we both got back to work. We went on like that for half an hour, neither of us saying anything while we worked.

We finished at the same time, and both put the figures on the table. He put his hand on my back and told me I had done a good job, and he meant it. The figure I made looked just like his, and I couldn’t wait to give them as gifts. Months later, after Grandpa Cheese had passed away, there were times when I knew that I could take the easy way out of something and just do an okay job, but I felt his hand on my back, telling me to be patient, because in the end, it won’t just be okay. It will be beautiful. Patience is key.

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Pricilla 2nd Place - Overall Grade 7 Genoa Middle School TEACHER: KARA REITER CONTEST COORDINATOR: DEBBIE PELLINGTON

Embrace Your Flaws I remember when I was young and carefree, when self love wasn’t a struggle. Then I grew up. I was very excited to go to middle school. It was the start of a new chapter or so I thought. I quickly found out that the experience was not what I expected. I was told middle school was a place of self discovery which is true, but it’s also a glimpse of what’s waiting for you in the real world - people who will support you and people who will try to tear you down. Personally, I have struggled with this. I thought middle school would open up a new world for me, a place where kindness thrives, but I was wrong.

While there are some kind people, I also found people who tear you down. I am a victim of these people. I’ve been body shamed, cussed out, and even kicked for being me but this isn’t even the worst of it. I’ve been told to kill myself on multiple occasions which has taken a toll on my mental health. I gave into the hate and thought less of myself, I began to wonder if the world would be better without me.

People disliked me because of my body. I went through puberty earlier than most of my peers and gained weight because of it. I developed curves that others would die to have but I hated those curves, the dips in my hips and my thunder thighs.

Additionally, I’m often looked down upon by my peers because I’m driven to make positive changes in my school environment. People view me as bossy rather than a student leader. People target me because of my passionate attitude. I’m told that I need to tone it down and that I’m sometimes too overbearing. I’ve had plenty of hateful things said and done to me. Everyone experiences middle school in different ways, some better than others. Some people will thrive and grow in middle school and others will wilt as a result of people tearing you down.

Being a middle schooler and just growing up in general is tough, but when people around you, who should be supporting you, don’t, it makes it ten times harder. I’m a person who takes someone’s comments to heart. When I was in the third grade my best friend and I were on the bus and we were sitting together. She looked at me and

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said “Why are your legs thicker than mine ?” I looked down and noticed that mine were twice as big as hers. After that I could no longer bear looking at my legs without looking at them with disgust. Why couldn’t my legs be thinner? Why did my legs have to be so beefy? This is when I started to become extremely self conscious of my appearance, I remember a point in time where every negative thing I could think of corroded my mind. I was mentally abusing myself to a point where I started to lay out a plan, a plan that meant I was no longer a part of the world. I hated everything about myself.

From my appearance to things that were completely out of my control. During this low point in my life, my grandma passed away. I loved her with all of my heart. She wasn’t just my grandma, she was my first love. After I lost her I lost a piece of myself. I became a different person. The girl my grandma knew was no longer present. She had gotten buried along with her. My parents took notice of my mood change and I ended up in therapy. I didn’t want help. I wanted to fight the battle on my own, but I realized that I couldn’t. This fight dragged me around and soon pulled me down into a deep dark hole, a never ending Hell. I thought I would never get out. I screamed for help yet no one came to rescue me. The screaming only drowned me out more. I remember the feeling of my eyes stinging from the endless nights I’d stayed up crying. I recall moments of time where I would start crying for no reason. I wasn’t sad nor happy, just numb. I even cried because I felt numb. I couldn’t feel anything anymore and that’s what tore me apart. The fact that I could no longer feel made me sick. I drowned in my emotions.

Then, I started to gather myself. I lost so much time reflecting on my past that I missed out on the present. I realized that I couldn’t continue to blame others for how I handled a loss, I couldn’t continue to blame myself for things that were out of my control. It was God’s plan, only He knows where this will take me. I began to look past my past. I stopped listening to the hurtful things others said. I began to look at myself in the mirror and say “That’s me, that’s my body.” I learned to love my body even though it had its flaws but those flaws are what made it mine. I learned that it didn’t matter if someone liked my body or not as long as I loved myself then nothing else mattered.

I struggled with self love for the longest time. It was one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever learned because self love is something you discover within yourself, not something someone can teach you. You have to find it in yourself and for yourself. I lost myself because I couldn’t love myself. I couldn’t forgive myself for things that were out of my control, I couldn’t accept my flaws. I didn’t want to admit I wasn’t perfect but I realized that nobody’s perfect! I learned that not being perfect is not something to be ashamed of, but something to embrace.

Embrace your flaws.

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Eli Grissinger 3rd Place - Overall Grade 7 Minerva Park Middle School TEACHER: BETH MORAVY CONTEST COORDINATOR: SARAH COMBS

Why are you Sorry?

Accountability, as it is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions”. But why? Why do we care about accepting responsibility for our actions? The actions still happened. So why would you ever want to admit fault for them? And why do we care if perpetrators admit fault? It’s such a basic thing but so complicated at the same time.

Accountability is something you can’t just earn in a day. Accountability takes time.

Consistency. You can take accountability for your actions but to be an accountable person you have to have to make a consistent effort. Accountability is something that is earned, not done. Being accountable is a title that is forged in fire and needs to be constantly sharpened. When taking accountability for your actions, it is you showing an effort to someone you’ve wronged. Accountability isn’t one action, it’s showing that you care.

That is something I think the definition is lacking. It makes accountability out as something you can just do. But it isn’t. It never was. Accountability isn’t saying you’re sorry. Accountability is showing you’re sorry. Accountability is using as much energy as you can to prove that you understand what you’ve done. Accountability is proving that you care about what you’ve done. Real accountability is when you do your best to show you care, while expecting not to be forgiven. Accountability is when you do it anyway because you know you should. For the victims’ closure even if it goes against your own gain.

Earlier this year, I said some awful things to another student. I will not expand for their privacy but what I said would probably be considered unforgivable by most.

It has eaten me away for months and stressed me out to no end. A clearcut case of unresolved guilt. I gave them a gift and a letter apologizing to them. I don’t expect them to forgive me. I never have. I did it because I thought my actions warranted some response from me. Not for my gain. But for their well being. I am by no means a saint. A

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gift and a letter solves nothing, but the goal was never to solve anything. The goal was to send a message. That I understand what I did was wrong, and I’m willing to make it up.

So to answer the original question, accountability matters because when your perpetrator takes accountability, it gives you closure. It is them claiming their act and wrapping up the story. How do you properly take accountability? Try to make it up to them even if you know that you never can.

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Sophia Johnson Best Special Theme Grade 8 Minerva Park Middle School TEACHER: SIERRA GILLOTTE CONTEST COORDINATOR: SARAH COMBS

Laws of Life Has somebody ever told you to take accountability for something? What does taking accountability even mean? To me, taking accountability means that you are taking responsibility for your actions, AND taking responsibility for the results of your actions. But why is that so hard to do? Why is it so hard for people to own up to mistakes that they’ve made? People are wired to think that doing something wrong will end in punishment. That’s why people are so scared to make mistakes. That’s why people are scared of holding themselves accountable.

Not holding yourself accountable is a thing everyone has done. Think back to when you were a child and you did something bad to somebody else, your first instinct was to say “Well they started it!” They probably didn’t start it, but you didn’t want people to get mad at you so you had to shift the blame somehow. That’s what’s wrong with not taking accountability. You hurt other people by blaming them for something that you did.

Back in 2023 I was going through a lot. My father was going through kidney failure and diabetes at the same time. It put a lot of stress on me and all I could do was take it out on other people. I made my friends and family mad at me, and I never blamed myself for it; my thought process was “If it’s my fault, then I’m the worst person ever.” You may be thinking, “How would you be the worst person ever?” Well I already made myself feel insecure enough by blaming them for every single thing. I would hate myself if I realized that I never had a reason to blame and take everything out on everyone else. I never wanted to take it out on anybody else, but all the stress and pent up feelings resulted in frustration. I wanted to cry every single night. I wanted to scream.

I just didn’t want to live a life without my dad. I just didn’t want to take accountability.

Accountability and honesty go hand in hand. You can’t be accountable without being honest with yourself; you can’t be honest without being accountable. To be

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accountable you have to be honest with yourself and others. Accountability is literally just being honest about something you did. People are so scared about others’ reactions to honesty that they forget to tell the truth, and never hold themselves accountable for anything. So what if you get in trouble for doing something wrong? You wouldn’t have to hold the burden of guilt for not being accountable.

I realize that many people in sports never take accountability. Being an athlete myself I realize I used to blame my teammates for every mistake I made. I remember I used to yell at my goalie when her mom came over to me angry and told me something that stuck with me. “You can’t blame her for not blocking the shot, there’s 11 players on the soccer field right now; 11 lines of defense. She is not the only one that should be blamed.” Right then and there I realized she was right. It was everybody’s fault for the goal. The offense didn’t keep the ball, the defense didn’t stop the other team’s offense, and the goalie didn’t block the shot. Then, through the multiple times my teammates telling me I was bossy and that I kept blaming them, I started to say “That’s my bad.” In soccer that’s one of the best things you can say to show your teammates that you know how to hold yourself accountable. I changed my mindset from “I’m the best one on the field so I can’t be blamed,” to “I could be the worst one on the field and not even know it so I should take accountability.” It’s better to be bad at something and be honest than be good at something but never be honest when you make a mistake.

During recent times I have turned into a more accountable person. I have realized that being unaccountable doesn’t benefit anyone. It doesn’t benefit you, and it sure doesn’t benefit anybody else. I used to live life in frustration and lies, but I realized that life is what you make it. That reminds me of a quote from Charles R. Swindoll, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” The initial reaction of people to bad things that happen to them is to lie and blame. If you keep going down that path of unaccountability then you ‘re going to find out sooner or later that the easiest and best way to live life is to look life straight in the face, and be honest. Be responsible. And most importantly, be accountable.

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Ava Parry 1st Place - Grade 8 Genoa Middle School TEACHER: ASHLEY MCFERREN CONTEST COORDINATOR: DEBBIE PELLINGTON

“Persistence is Your Determination to Stay at it Until you Win at it” “Persistence is your determination to stay at it until you win at it” -anonymous. This is an important quote because to me, it means if you fail at something and give up, then you will get nowhere in life. You can’t give up and think you will never succeed, you just have to keep trying until you do. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sport, something for school or some other aspect of your life, you have to be persistent if you want to work towards something or achieve a certain goal. No matter what you are trying to accomplish or do you have to be persistent and never give up.

“Persistence is your determination to stay at it until you win at it” is a law of life that is relevant to my own life and experiences. I ride horses and go to showjumping competitions.

One summer I had a broken arm and I could not ride while I had a cast on it. This was not good because I had a competition in October and I was not due to get my cast off until August. I was very worried that I would not be able to ride as well as I did before my broken arm. I was scared that I would lose all of my experience and if the horse spooked or took off, then I would fall and get hurt all over again. When I first got on the horse I realized I had definitely lost some skills. I hoped that before the competition, I could get back to riding at the skill level I was at before I had broken my arm.

At first, I was determined to get back to the skill level I had always been, but then I made a decision to try and get even better. I told myself I was going to get better no matter how much work I needed to put into it. I went to the barn multiple times to practice and took multiple lessons to get back to where I was. I started getting better, and only two months after getting my cast off I was back to where I had been before my injury. The competition was coming up, but I did not let that phase me as I continued to work hard to get better. Finally, I decided I was ready to try a jump. I was super scared and all I could think about was not falling off. I knew that I could not be scared because the horse would pick up on my fear and refuse the jumps. As a result, I gave it my all and it went pretty well. I knew that I needed to keep trying and be persistent if I was going to be prepared for the competition. The next few weeks I went to the barn multiple times and I started to see improvement. Even though there were some bumps and bruises along the way, I was

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determined to improve my skills. I really started feeling more confident in my riding and I felt that I was ready for the show. In the end I was better than I was before I broke my arm all because I persevered and did not give up.

Finally, it was the day of the competition. I was very nervous when I saw all of the people who were competing. As I practiced, I started feeling more confident as the horse and I soared over the warm up jumps. Then we got in line to go into the arena and compete. I started feeling very nervous about messing up. So, I started reciting the course the horse and I were going to run over and over again in my head. This made me even more nervous but I did not give up. I was determined to do well and ended up winning third place.

“Persistence is your determination to stay at it until you win at it” also applies to my life because of dance. I was at a dance competition and had a hip hop routine to perform.

This was one of my most nerve racking dances because I had to do a headstand. I was so nervous because in my dance practices, I wasn’t always successful with the headstand.

I did not want to let my whole team down if I fell. Before it was time for my teammates and I to compete, we were backstage practicing our dance. We were all determined to do well. Then, it was our turn to compete. It was going well at first but then, it was time for the headstand. I knew the judges would take off points if l fell because I was front and center on the stage. I told myself I had to nail it so I didn’t let down my team. The beginning of the headstands for the team went well, but we still had to complete a turn on our heads and then move until we were upright to finish the routine. That is when we realized that we could not tum because the floor was not slippery at all and we all fell out of our headstands. I was so embarrassed that I fell out of my headstand in front of the judges.

However, I was determined to get a good score, and I knew I had to perform the rest of the dance the best I had ever done. I wanted to finish strong and I did! At the end of the night we received multiple awards. We even earned a platinum award for our hip hop dance. I was proud of myself that I had the determination to persevere.

I learned the importance of being persistent and not giving up through my showjumping and dance experiences. By staying determined to do better, I was able to succeed at both.

Running away from a problem is never the answer. Instead, you must face it. Hard work and determination are the key to overcoming any obstacle. “Persistence is your determination to stay at it until you win at it.” This continues to have a huge impact on my life. It has shown me how to persevere no matter what I am trying to overcome. I won’t give up!

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Joseph Contorno 2nd Place - Grade 8 Ridgeview Middle School TEACHER & CONTEST COORDINATOR: DONELLA BRADDIX

A Law of Life - Acceptance The first memory I have of my father is of him in a hospital bed with tubes sticking out of him, cuts and bruises all over his body. I remember my mom getting told he had hit a garbage truck on his motorcycle and slid, which tore his body up the entire way.

The look on her face is one that still remains in my memory. It’s one of the only times I’ve ever seen her look so depressed and despondent.

My father’s life was impacted greatly afterwards. He was unable to even move for weeks. This was very different from the active lifestyle he was accustomed to. He used to ride around on his motorcycle and play sports and things, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to do those things any more. I’ve tried so many times to imagine how he must’ve felt, but it’s such a horrid thing to think about that I can’t even attempt to.

Every day I would ask my dad if he was okay but he’d always respond with the same thing. He would always say he was fine, but I could always see the truth in his eyes. I knew he wasn’t happy, but he had to make the best of his situation. This event taught me about the lesson of acceptance. I have had more incidents in my life where I had to learn acceptance.

For example, my dog, Malachi, was diagnosed with a massive cancerous tumor in his stomach. We booked a flight and rushed out to Michigan where he was. When we arrived, he was different from what I remembered and I could tell he was in a lot of pain. He would yelp or just sleep for hours. I would always look at him sorrowfully and wonder why he had to suffer so badly and I would just sit and pet him for hours on end.

When we were ready to have him put down and they had him laid out on the table in front of us with the shot ready, the reality of it all really hit me. All I could think about while the vets injected him and put him to sleep was “Why?”. I just didn’t understand.

Once I got home, I realized there was nothing that I could have done to change things and that there was nothing else to do but accept what happened. I tried to think about it from Malachi’s perspective. He was in pain and his pain had been nullified, even if it did result in his death.

Trying to think about it from this perspective was extremely effective and was honestly the only way I was able to accept his death.

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My dad also had cancer the same year and needed open heart surgery. We had talked to him about it many times and knew it was coming, but, I wasn’t prepared for it. When it came time for his surgery, I remember getting escorted out of the room and seeing all their instruments and things they were going to use on him. It was scary and difficult for me to accept that this was actually happening to someone, especially to someone as important to me as my dad. He would always talk to my mom about how scared and afraid he was-but, he would always hide it from me, putting up a barrier and acting strong. I managed to think about how it was going to save his life and that helped me accept what was happening. I know he had to be so scared too, even more scared than me and my mom, and I felt horrible for him.

He wasn’t done with cancer, to our dismay. Just later that year he was diagnosed with cancer in his lungs and liver. He was always tired and would sleep in for hours on end, and it was a different side of him that I’d never seen. It was so bad for him that he couldn’t even keep his tough persona and instead he showed just how weak he really was. My mom would cry, and I would too, because I knew that he likely wouldn’t have the same lucky outcome as he did before. We managed to get him in multiple hospitals which tried to help him and gave him surgeries and treatments for his lungs and liver. It ended up not working however, and in late 2020, he was put into hospice in Ohio. My mom and I rushed out by plane, and managed to stay with him.

I still remember the last night I was there, when we told him how we loved him and how it’s okay if he slept. He couldn’t even move or talk, and had to have everything done for him. But I knew that he heard everything we told him. The next morning, we woke up to a call. He had he had died at about 12 am.

It was hard for me and my mom, but we managed to accept it. We knew he wasn’t in pain and he wasn’t sad anymore, and that he was in a better place now. It helped me learn how to accept things, and how crucial acceptance is to living.

Acceptance is an important thing, and it’s a law of life you should make sure you abide by. We are human beings, and like any human being we are truly fragile. My mom has told me about many things she’s had to accept, from deaths to lost jobs and she’s told me about how much acceptance has helped her. Throughout all the hardships I’ve experienced, and all the wonderful people I’ve met, I know one thing: Acceptance is important, and it’s something everyone is capable of achieving.

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Leah McMahon 3rd Place - Grade 8 Genoa Middle School TEACHER: ASHLEY MCFERREN CONTEST COORDINATOR: DEBBIE PELLINGTON

Stepping Stones When faced with a challenge, I believe it is always important to take things one step at a time. As a student athlete who participates in an individual sport, this is something that I have found crucial to my success. Getting worked up or stressed out over something you want to achieve can be frustrating and create mental blocks. That is why it is important to take small steps, like one stepping stone at a time, to guide you through things and help you reach your goals. Think of how you cross a street, a pond, or a bridge. You have to take it step by step or one by one to reach the other side. I have learned that if you take things without slowing down, you can miss a step, which can cause you to get stressed and not perform as well as you hoped. It can also increase the amount of pressure you are feeling. I have experienced this mainly in swimming, but I have learned that the pressure I face makes me stronger in my life and it helps me overcome more things. When I am in a situation where I am faced with pressure, I have to take my situation one step at a time.

I am a swimmer, and when I am swimming, I always strive to reach for a goal or an achievement. Swimming is an individual sport in which an athlete must build up self confidence to perform well in high pressure situations. When I had races where I struggled to do well, I had low self confidence and got stressed out quickly because I thought I would never succeed. I built up mental blocks in certain events. One time, there was a cut that I wanted to reach while swimming. A cut is a time that you must achieve so you qualify to attend a certain meet or competition. I would get so close to this time whenever I swam but would always just miss it, no matter how hard I tried.

This caused me to lose self confidence and not believe in myself. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. Many times, I would swim in events where I was not relaxed or confident. As a result, I would not do my best and I would get frustrated. It felt so mentally degrading knowing that I had trained my hardest and still could not perform how I wanted or how I was expected to. I have learned when I am faced with a block,

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to take things step by step. If I want to succeed in something, the first step I take is to talk to a coach about where to start. For example, how do I pace? How should I build up confidence? What are the little things that I can focus on to do my best? After I asked questions and received feedback, the next step was to start practicing. My coaches always tell me to be confident in my racing, to know that if I believe in myself, I can do anything I put my mind to. I found that when I got the mindset of believing in myself, it really changed my perspective about things. I made sure to put the advice my coaches gave me into a routine. The final step I took before a race was to keep myself from overthinking about things too much and just rely on my confidence and my training.

I would give it my best and I always tried to put myself in the most advantageous positions possible. By following my stepping stones, I ensured that I tried my hardest to reach my goals. When I was relaxed and confident I did everything I could, I raced my best. When I was scared of failing or had a mental block, I did not do my best.

I believe that individual sports are as mentally tough as they are physical. Even though your body goes through so much physical training and immense pain, you still have to be strong, maybe even stronger mentally to perform well. It is important to take criticism well, know that mistakes are okay, believe that you deserve good things to happen, know that you have trained hard, and learn that it is okay to fail because failing will make you stronger. I have learned that by consistently using my stepping stones as a guide, they help shape not just my athletic endeavors but also my approach to all challenges.

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Kate 4th Place - Grade 8 Heritage Middle School TEACHER: MINDY HOLMES CONTEST COORDINATOR: DEBBIE PELLINGTON

Simply Being Gracious Our parents have always told us to be grateful, say thank you, and to count your blessings, but we still often overlook the simple things that others do for us. It’s important to remember to take a look around and find the small ways that people contribute to our own happiness. Showing appreciation and acknowledgement of others makes people feel valued, and as a result, they are more likely to keep showing kindness. This leads to a more positive and friendly world for everyone. Not only does it have an impact on the world but it helps to reinforce the individual’s self-confidence about their actions. In life, we must make sure to appreciate the acts of kindness that others show, and put forth effort to convey our gratitude.

Every year at Christmas my grandfather picks out a book and writes a letter for each of my cousins and I. He always writes the most tender, considerate notes to us and chooses a book that reminds him of us. So, on Christmas of 2022, it was my turn to open a gift. It was the book from my grandfather. As the soft carols played I was handed the parcel. All of the talking and the music came to a halt in the wrapping paper strewn room. I anxiously held my breath and eagerly unwrapped the package. The title appeared, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy. I opened the front cover and out flew a crisp white envelope with my grandfather’s monogram on it. I unsealed it and began reciting what he had written. In a quivering voice I read about his pride in me, about my accomplishments, and most of all about the character that I exemplify everyday. My face went red hot, as I glanced up and saw Grandpa smiling and crying at the same time. I had never seen such raw emotion before. It was at this moment when I realized just how astounding this annual gift was. To think that he had spent so long thinking of each of us, thinking about how much he loved us, and picking out a special book that reminded him of us, is heart warming and changed my outlook on life. Now, when I open these letters I take time to appreciate the effort and time he put into this symbol of his love. Sometimes, I even start tearing up. At first I

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know that I didn’t truly appreciate the gesture, but when I realized the importance of acknowledging what others do for you, it became something that I look forward to each year, our special bond with Grandpa. This taught me the significance of showing gratitude and appreciating what others do for us. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse is an inspirational story that has benefitted me and taught me lessons about life as each year’s books do. In the story four unlikely friends meet and explore the world together. Along the way they contemplate life and all of its beauty. By the end they have all learned that our purpose in life is to love others and allow others to love us. Each book has helped me become a better person and contribute positively to our society and world. I am so eternally grateful to my grandfather for teaching me the importance of gratitude through this annual tradition.

Having gratitude helps us have more empathy for others. With so many different people from different places, backgrounds, genders, race, and ethnicities we have to learn how to understand other people and be accepting of them. We should always show our gratitude for others no matter what our differences because we can all help each other out. Applying this law of life doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be as simple as writing a thank you letter to somebody in your life, or just showing good manners.

Please and thank you go a long way. I have learned the importance of passing on love and gratitude. When somebody does something nice for you., you should do something thoughtful for them or another person. In the words of William Arthur Ward, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

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Anna Turney 1st Place - Grade 7 Genoa Middle School TEACHER: KARA REITER CONTEST COORDINATOR: DEBBIE PELLINGTON

Hardship Has a Reason Have you ever been through a hard time and caught yourself asking “why me?”

Or you felt all alone, like no one was supporting you. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how things would work out in the end? Many people make the mistake of not slowing down or realizing that everything that happens in life is for a reason. Even though the outcome may not be exactly how you wanted it, it always builds character and helps you build empathy for what others are going through. Think about how different the world would be if everyone focused on the life lessons learned from their experiences instead of the experience itself. People might have more empathy for others and view their situations much differently.

We’ve all had struggles or trauma, and I’m no exception. In fourth grade, my mental health took a dive. It could have been from the start of Covid or the bullying that I received at school. I think that both of these situations affected my mental state. Often, I would feel depressed and uninterested in my favorite activities, I had no appetite, and every day I would struggle just to fall asleep. Sometimes I would come home and just cry for no reason. As if that wasn’t enough, my grades started slipping and I had increasing attention issues. I wondered why all of this was happening to me.

I decided to tell my parents about what was going on, and my mom opened up about our long line of mental illness on her side of the family. She told me that I probably needed to get it checked out. A few weeks later I was diagnosed with depression and had to start taking antidepressants. It was nice to know that there was a treatment that I could receive for what I had, but it made me feel like I was now “labeled” as having depression and that it would never fully go away. The medicine made me feel a little better, but I started having a problem with eating and became very weak. Over time, my condition worsened, enough for my parents to notice. I started thinking that I was fat, even though I was pretty slim to begin with. I dropped at least two clothing sizes in a few months. It got to the point where I had to go to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and stay there for a week. Not only that, I also had to miss the last three weeks of school, which was very embarrassing, especially when everyone asked

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why I was gone. It wasn’t a great experience. I remember throwing three mini bagels at one of the nurses’ heads because I didn’t want to eat them. I did it because I had a false conception that I was fat and didn’t deserve to eat them. I had to stay in the bed hooked up to a heart monitor the entire time and couldn’t even walk down the hallway.

I don’t know why I let myself get like that, I was just so lost in my head. When I came home, I had to be on a special diet and stay essentially bedridden for the entire summer that year, because my vitals were not normal, and I was really weak. I started to feel like things would never go back to the way they used to be. I was feeling so many emotions all at once and I didn’t know what to do with them. My life was nothing now except doctors appointments in downtown Columbus and staring out the car window at the skyscrapers wishing my life were different. Wishing I could be a normal kid. Wishing I could hang out with my friends outside without them running off while I had to stay seated. Everything became numb and I felt nothing anymore, I just was.

Thankfully for me, I recovered a lot quicker than the doctors expected me to.

By the time school started again, my life was somewhat back to normal. Even though I wasn’t fully recovered from everything that happened and was showing signs of post traumatic stress disorder, I stopped to think about how much I had learned. The counselor that I was seeing was the one who suggested something that ended up changing my life. She mentioned that I should think about how much I had learned and grown from my experience. At first, I didn’t want to do it because of all of the emotions connected to it, but I decided to give it a shot. I learned to keep in tune with my body and feelings and speak up before it’s too late. Additionally, I experienced a growing empathy for others going through a hard time. I also felt stronger, like I could handle more. Today, I am healed and thriving. Even though the thought of everything I went through still bothers me sometimes, I remind myself how far I’ve come. My experiences have taught me that whenever you’re going through a hard time, it is important to remember that hardship has a reason. You can make it through and become stronger than you started with the help of others and the determination to keep fighting.

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Landon Albertson 2nd Place - Grade 7 Coshocton Junior High School TEACHER: SHARI LONSBERRY CONTEST COORDINATOR: BARBARA BREEN

Mistakes Make You Stronger “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”-Elbert Hubbard. This is a quote that I wish I had known last year. We all at some point in our lives realize that making mistakes can make us better. Even though that may be the case, I am still scared of failure. I despise seeing a low grade on my grade card because it might make me feel less desire to work harder at school or any activity. This has been going on for a while now, I am an all-A student and when I get a B on even a small activity, I feel less motivated to work to make that grade better. I didn’t know how long it would take for my mindset to change, but I was desperate for that day to come.

I was devastated when I spotted a B on my grade report card in 6th grade. I knew that my parents were gonna be very disappointed because I had gotten all A’s leading up to that point, and I believed I would always get them. What I realized was that instead of a teacher grading my paper, it was a classmate instead. I knew I had gotten more right than the paper said, but I had to stay calm and wait for other assignments to improve my grade. What I didn’t realize was that there was less than a week left in the grading period and I couldn’t stay calm any longer, I had asked the teacher if there was anything I could do to get my grade up, but there wasn’t anything left, the only thing I could do was confront the teacher about the assignment that she didn’t grade telling her whoever the classmate was messed up the grading. I never got the paper back from the teacher in the first place though, the only way I knew I had gotten a low grade on the assignment was from the progress book. I knew she must’ve had the paper so I confronted her about the work, but she couldn’t find the paper. I was nervous, frightened, and anxious at the same time. If she couldn’t find the paper then there’s no way I could prove I had gotten a higher score. Defeated, I returned to my seat and sat there timidly waiting for the day to be over.

When I arrived home, my parents were not there yet because they had to work for another hour. I had decided I would not tell them because maybe when the grade card

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came in, I’d hope she changed my grade. After all, she could not find the paper. A week had passed and my teacher announced that we were getting our grade cards today. I was extremely nervous about my grade, “Will I get my first B? Did she find the paper and notice I had gotten a higher grade?” were all questions that would be answered when I opened the paper. I grabbed the grade card out of my work shelf and sat down about to open the paper. I got a B. I was horrified. I put in so much effort to better that grade and it’s still a B. I returned home and put the grade card on the counter for my parents to see when they got home from work. Sitting on my bed anxious and uneasy waiting for the moment they arrived to hopefully acknowledge the reason I had gotten a B. When they got home they didn’t realize the card immediately. I was watching TV hoping that it would make me feel calmer, but it didn’t help. My dad yelled my name to come into the kitchen. I didn’t know if it was going to be a good thing or bad. I just hoped they weren’t angry at me. I walked to the kitchen at a leisurely pace, turned the corner and I saw my dad looking at me. He asked me why I got a B and I explained the situation. He understood me and I was confused. I said “I thought you were going to be angry at me,” he said that he didn’t think it mattered because I was at about 98% and if I hadn’t got the grade from a classmate I would’ve had an A. I was still shocked because I made a big deal about the grade when I shouldn’t have. My mom was a bit different.

She was a bit more annoyed about it but still understood that the kid made a mistake and it was not my fault.

I learned from this experience that failure is something you need to progress in life. Without this experience, I would not have learned to not be afraid of failure. There are a million times I was afraid of failure because I never knew this law of life, but this law is essential to learn from your mistakes. I still try my best in school. If I need work to be completed, I work on it until it is fully finished. I have not gotten any super low grades because I learned this law. If I make mistakes I realize what I could do differently to better myself and become better. I can now proudly say that I’ve learned from my mistakes and learned to not fear failure. “You don’t learn to walk by following the rules.

You learn by doing, and falling over.”-Richard Branson

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Laurel Smith 3rd Place - Grade 7 Benjamin Logan Middle School TEACHER: TINA MCPHERSON CONTEST COORDINATOR: DEEPIKA SCHEIDERER

The Pretender I was sitting on a bench in the park when it happened. It was the summer before sixth grade, and the world was in a rare state of peace. The sky was a gorgeous shade of azure blue, and the weather was perfect. The sun heated my skin, and there was a slight breeze to the air that swirled my hair around. That day had been a good day. We ate lunch, and then we got ice cream. At that moment, we were sitting at the park, people-watching. Most people would define this day as perfect.

But there was something in my chest, something that made the day... less. It tugged at my soul, threatening to take the good away and replace it with the bad. It was always there. It never seemed to go away, no matter what I tried. So the feeling was ignored. I smiled and pretended everything was fine. Because with our family, everything was always fine. It had to be.

There were a lot of people at the park that day. A couple was having a picnic, giggling over Jimmy Johns. A family not unlike ours sitting on the bench on the other side of the lawn, their kids playing tag.

But there was one person in particular that caught my eye. A girl on the lawn, just a few yards away. She was lying on a blanket, limbs sprawled out like a starfish. She had dark green, wavy hair, cut up to her chin and was clad in bleached overalls and a pastel rainbow hoodie.

Her feet were dressed in platform combat boots, and she had socks with frogs on them.

But despite all of that, there was something about her that made me take a second look.

Her face was undeniably happy. Her smile reached her bright eyes, and her whole being looked as if she could take on the word. The thing in my chest lurched, and I felt something. Wanting. I wanted to be like that girl, more than almost anything. She seemed alive. Something I was not.

But something I could be.

I was staring at the girl now, in a trance. But a boy a year or two younger than me, ran up to her, breaking the haze. “Hey miss!” he shouted at her. The girl looked up at him with a puzzled expression “Hey little dude.” Her face turned up in a smirk. She reached her arms behind her head, laying on them nonchalantly. “What can I do you for?” The boy’s eyebrows furrowed, “Why are you dressed like that?” He asked, pointing at her. “Don’t you worry that people will

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think you’re weird? Cause I think you’re weird. I think you’re really weird.” A normal person would be angry. A normal person would tell the boy to go away. But not this girl. She closed her eyes and replied, “Nah, little dude. It’s my life. If people don’t like the way I dress, it’s their problem, not mine.” The boy’s face turned confused. “Huh?” Now she was paying attention. Her eyes popped open, and she sat up in a slouch. “Here, let me explain it to you. It’s my life, right?” “Yeah.” The boy nodded. “Why would I let anyone else live it for me? They can live their life, and I can live mine. If they don’t like the way I live, I don’t care. It’s not my fault they don’t like me, it’s theirs. Does that make sense?” She looked up to the boy with a hopeful look. He frowned. “No, it don’t. I still think you’re weird.” The girl let out a sigh.

“Okay then.” She shrugged, laid back down and closed her eyes again. The boy walked away, shaking his head.

Although the boy had learned nothing, I had. The realization struck through me like a bullet, and I could do nothing but sit still in its wake. I wasn’t. .. me. I was a mirror of the people around me. Suddenly, everything I was felt wrong. The thing in my chest clawed, and screamed inside my abdomen, wanting to get out, to no longer be trapped in its prison. My breathing started to get heavy, and all I could think about was how much I had been missing out on.

My whole life, I had done what others wanted. I put my hair in a ponytail, and I wore drab clothes. I acted like I didn’t want to scream when my friends said something rude and horrible.

I acted like I was okay when others disregarded me or used me just because I didn’t have the strength to say no. But at that moment, I decided I was done.

Because of this girl, this girl, this girl. She made me rethink things. She gave me a new perspective. A new way to look at the world. I had to tell her. But when I looked up, she was gone. The picnic blanket had vanished. It was as if she were never there. I went home in a daze that day.

The very next day, I ordered a rainbow hoodie.

That was just the start. I dyed my hair all the colors of the rainbow. I wore patterned socks every day. I started speaking up when people said cruel things. I didn’t let them take advantage of me. I made different friends, friends who loved and accepted the real me. It was a breath of fresh air. My lungs were able to fill with the oxygen that they needed. And the thing inside my chest? Gone. Never to be seen again. Why would I let it stay? So people would like me? If people only liked the person I was pretending to be, they don’t even know me. Let alone like me.

Now I’m in 7th grade. I would be lying if I said things were perfect. They’re not. They’re far from perfect. But those things are out of my control. There is only one thing I can control.

Me. Who I am, inside and out. That’s my Law of Life. It’s how I live, and how I plan to live for the rest of my life. While I’m writing this, I’m thinking back to that girl. The girl on the lawn changed everything. I wish she knew how she helped me. Maybe I’ll see her someday. Maybe I’ll show her this essay. I hope she would be proud.

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Averie Cofie 1st Place - Grade 6 Blendon Middle School TEACHER: LEE RUTHERFORD CONTEST COORDINATOR: SARAH COMBS

Laws of Life Essay “Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.” Mohsin Hamid.

To me Empathy is the most important law of life. Without empathy people would struggle alone. Without empathy people would feel pain without anyone to remind them they are not alone. Empathy isn’t reminding someone that it is going to be ok, empathy is reminding someone that they are in this together. When someone has empathy they put themselves in the same circumstances as the person who is hurting.

They feel how that person feels.

Three years ago I had to have a lot of empathy. After recess at school the teachers lead me and another class to a classroom we didn’t usually go to. The principal and other teachers including the guidance counselor were there. Several other students and I were confused and a bit nervous. One of the teachers came up to the front of the classroom and began to get students settled. Nerves shot through my body as the teacher began speaking. “ The reason why we are all here,” the teacher announced. “ We would like to inform you all that one of your classmate’s mom passed away just last week.” I could feel my soul leave my body. The room was so silent I could hear every breath. The guidance counselor came up slowly and began telling us about empathy.

She explained that empathy is putting yourself in that person’s shoes. I imagined what life would be like without my mom. It hurt to just think that I would have to get through the rest of my life without her.

When he returned to school I began to put myself in his shoes. I felt how awkward it was to be in a room with friends. I felt how hard it was to return home and not have my mom to welcome me. Some days I could tell he needed a friend. On those days I would go over and make him laugh. Other days I could tell he needed space. On those days I wouldn’t bother him. As other students and I continued to have empathy for him I could tell he was getting better. He began to become the person he was before his mom passed. He didn’t get better in one day. It was a process. Each and every day he grew. By the end of the year he was making jokes just like he used to. That is what empathy does for someone. It helps them along their progress to heal.

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That is what changed how I looked at life. Without empathy I would have never known what life is like when you experience such a tragic event. Having empathy puts a big impact on what I need to do to help people when people are struggling. Sometimes it is hard to help people when they are struggling. Sometimes it’s hard to try to help people when they are hurting. That’s why empathy is important. Without empathy people would struggle to heal from something that hurt. It is hard to hurt alone. When you hurt alone, you feel like you will never be able to climb out of the deep void of pain you are in. You will have no one that is there in the void with you. “ Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.” Mohsin Hamid.

Empathy is the most important law of life to me. When we have empathy it teaches us what it is like to go through certain things. It helps people who are struggling. It reminds them they are not alone. It reminds them that there is someone by their side to comfort them. This proves why empathy is the most important law of life.

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Bridget Beight 2nd Place - Grade 6 West Muskingum Middle School TEACHER: ANDREW DENT CONTEST COORDINATOR: CHELSIE WRIGHT

Be Thankful for What You Have Being thankful for what you have. Most people think of this as objects that you can buy with money, but I think of this as family and experiences. My grandfather has always played a big role in my life and he has enjoyed it even though he wasn’t the richest. He always enjoyed seeing us and coming down to watch us play sports.

I recall when he would take us to the farm just to spend time together we would play on the hay bales and talk. Right before dinner we would sneak out with our boots on and walk around the farm instead of setting the table. We would always laugh and forget all of the bad things with him.

My grandpa always said he could fix anything as long as he had duct tape. This is something that he was always proud of. He also always had a different color of roof on his barn. My sister and I thought this was silly but he would say as long as it works.

When my grandpa would always come over and we would see him a lot. I would always take it for granted.

Then, he started getting sick, he didn’t play as much outside with us, and he always had to sit down. His sickness got worse and worse. Until eventually he passed, that was one of the worst days I have ever felt and I still remember it clear as day. Now, I always think about his life and how he would want me to act.

I now think back on how he didn’t always have the best things, but he always made them work. Now, I try everyday to be more like him. His love for everyone, his helping hand, and most of all, just looking at what he has and not what he doesn’t have.

As Oprah Winfrey said, “Be thankful for what you have and you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

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Morgan Flaherty 3rd Place - Grade 6 Dominion Middle School TEACHER: KAMI NOVAK CONTEST COORDINATOR: LAUREN NOBLE

Brave Face Do you ever get that feeling? The spike of fear that tries to convince you not to do something? Everyone gets it at some point. It can be easy to talk yourself into believing that something is scary, or walk away from instances that make you uncomfortable sometimes, but that does not mean you should. The law of life that I find to be most valuable is never backing away from a challenge and being brave enough to face it.

Everyone has examples of challenges in their life. A recurring challenge for me has been performing in front of a live audience. Ever since I started performing when I was four, I have gotten nervous prior to any performance. Even though I have been playing violin for eight years, this is still my biggest unease. I get super nervous and stressed out for fear of making a mistake, so much so that my hands start to sweat, random thoughts buzz around in my head, and my knees bang together. Regardless of all of this, I know that I will feel even worse if I do not do whatever I am scared of or nervous about. Whenever I hold off on something or decide it is not worth it, I always regret my decision later on. Other instances where I feel this have been the disappointment that I feel every time I hold back from raising my hand in class, or when I decide to skip an opportunity that might have been a really fun experience. The best case scenario is that I do not get the satisfaction of finally finishing the song. A worst case scenario is that people keep asking me why I did not do it, and I have to answer that I was too afraid. It is important to me that I keep putting myself out there and continue performing even though it might be uncomfortable. It is always worth it because of the relief, satisfaction, and fulfillment you get when you have done it. That is why I continue performing in front of people. It makes you feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off of your shoulders; therefore, this is one small way that I can work to face my fears.

On the flipside, one example of when I have overcome my fear is when I was ten, and I was playing in my school concert. I was the only performer playing in both the orchestra and the band. I had to perform with a violin in orchestra and a trumpet in a

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band, so I knew that I would be singled out. I was on the verge of just walking out of the room with no explanation because of my fear of making a mistake in front of everyone while they were all focused on me. Then, one of my teachers gave me a reassuring smile. Due to her kindness, I felt a surge of confidence and walked right up to the stage and played fifteen or so songs without any doubt that I would finish. It was one of the most fun concerts of my life, thanks to my ability to push through the wall of doubt in my mind that tells me I was not good enough to accomplish my goal of completing the concert Ultimately, all people have little challenges or fears similar to mine. Whether it is something that someone is scared to bring up in a conversation, or something that someone will run away from if they see it on the street, people will always feel better when they find a way to push through and overcome their fears. Once someone faces their challenges, they can do anything they put their mind to trying.

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Participating Schools Benjamin Logan Middle School Columbus Gifted Academy The Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls Waggoner Junior High Holy Trinity School Heritage Middle School Genoa Middle School Coshocton Junior High Schooll

St. Vincent de Paul Ridgeview Middle School Dominion Middle School Philo Jr High School Walnut Springs Middle School West Muskingum Middle School Minerva Park Middle School Blendon Middle School Beulah Park Middle School

Awards Best Overall $500

6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Level Awards

2nd Place Overall

$250

First Place $100

3rd Place Overall

$150

Second Place $75

Best Special Theme

$100

Third Place $50

Best Cover Design

$150

Fourth Place $50

2nd Place Cover Design

$75

Each school with a finalist will receive $50 and each teacher or coordinator will receive a gift card

Participating in the Laws of Life 2025 Contest The Central Ohio BBB Laws of Life Essay Contest is a competition of the best Laws of Life essays written by middle school students in BBB’s 21-county service area. BBB’s Center for Character Ethics sponsors the contest to encourage schools and communities to engage in this enriching and valuable experience. To learn more about how to participate in the 2025 Laws of Life Essay Contest, please visit BBBLawsofLife.org or contact Cassy Patterson at cpatterson@centralohio.bbb.org.

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2024 Laws of Life Judges We would like to thank the following individuals for their dedicated service in judging the 2024 Central Ohio BBB Laws of Life Essay Contest.

Sarah McCabe Jen Mercer Jay Lindner Craig Vroom

Mick Proxmire James Rabenstine Ryan Aguire Lucy Frontera

About BBB Better Business Bureau is a community-based resource, a trusted advisor, and a partner in business. Our mission is to provide assessment, training and recognition programs for current and future leaders who are intentional about character, culture, and community.

BBB’s Center for Character Ethics recognizes student leaders through our Laws of Life and Students of Integrity Scholarship programs; young leaders through our Spark Awards and established leaders through our Torch Awards.

Find out more about our student programs, visit BBBCenterforCharacterEthics.org

Sponsors A special thank you to our sponsors for supporting the contest:

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