2026 Laws of Life Program

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About the Contest Better Business Bureau, Central & SE Ohio’s Center for Character Ethics is proud to present the Laws of Life Essay Contest as part of our mission to promote the character development of Ohio’s future leaders. By participating, students are encouraged to reflect on their values and articulate why those principles matter in a deeply meaningful way.

The Laws of Life Essay Contest invites students to reflect on the values that guide their decisions and shape who they are. Through the writing process, students strengthen critical thinking and communication skills while engaging in meaningful self-reflection and ethical exploration. Positioned as supplemental Common Core curriculum, the program gives students a compelling reason to write, revise, and connect classroom learning to real-world values. Educators consistently find that it not only enhances academic growth, but also fosters empathy, understanding, and stronger connections among students.

Initiated in 2000 as a statewide contest, BBB, Central & SE Ohio’s Center for Character Ethics became a regional partner representing 21 Ohio counties in 2006. As we celebrate 20 years of impact in our region, the program continues to serve as a model for BBB organizations across the country.

2026 Laws of Life Award Winners COVER DESIGN WINNERS 1st Place - Philomena Odonko, St. Vincent de Paul School 2nd Place - Anthony Santos-Rios, Dominion Middle School OVERALL BEST ESSAY 1st Place - Henry Stoller, Columbus Gifted Academy SPECIAL THEME 1st Place - Naftali Glaser, Columbus Gifted Academy 2nd Place - Hazel Ruprecht, St. Vincent de Paul School

6TH GRADE AWARDS 1st Place - Lyna Alilouche, Ridgeview Middle School 2nd Place - Maggie Green, Ridgeview Middle School 3rd Place - Autumn Laury, Columbus Preparatory for Girls 7TH GRADE AWARDS 1st Place - Dahlia Johnson, Dominion Middle Schooll 2nd Place - Anaam Abdi, Minerva Park Middle School 3rd Place - Warren Prince, Coshocton Middle School 8TH GRADE AWARDS 1st Place - Amadou Wane, Columbus Gifted Academy 2nd Place - Alisyn Walter, West Muskingum Middle School 3rd Place - Emily Porr, Columbus Gifted Academy

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Philomena Odonkor 1st Place Cover Design Grade 7 St Vincent de Paul School

TEACHER & CONTEST COORDINATOR: KATHERINE HUDSON

1st Place Cover Contest Explanation Responsibility is the ability to act independently and make decisions.

To me, responsibility means to have a good balance between authority and accountability. When I made my artwork, I decided to make a scale that represented responsibility that can not only show a balance between accountability and authority but also remind you to think of your priorities over unnecessary activities. On one side of the plates, I drew a hand holding a globe which represented authority and leadership. On the other plate, there is a gear with a checkmark in it. This represents accountability for your actions and tasks. Balancing these two things show how important it is to include both control and leadership in anything you do. On both sides of the scale, there are chains, which represent the commitment you have for your goals to help others. Blue is a color that represents responsibility and loyalty. In order to have a good ethic in responsibility, you must have a balance between all of those morals.

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Anthony Santos-Rios 2nd Place Cover Design Grade 8 Dominion Middle School

TEACHER: DAVID EDWARDS CONTEST COORDINATOR: LAUREN NOBLE

2nd Place Cover Contest Explanation This cover illustrates a mother polar bear nurturing her cub near the edge of a lake. The mother polar bear is a representation of being responsible, as she needs to protect her child from predators, even fasting in a den to nurse and keep her babies warm. Polar bear infants are born blind and deaf, which makes them depend on their mother. Without a father, the mother polar bear takes care and teaches her cubs how to hunt. So I see mother polar bears as a great depiction of responsibility.

I painted the majority of the cover with paint and drew the polar bear with pencil.

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Henry Stoller Best Overall

Grade 8 Columbus Gifted Academy TEACHER: LAUREL MURPHY CONTEST COORDINATOR: SHERRY DANIEL

“No Legacy is So Rich As Honesty” There are very few things in life that I value more than my own success in academics. I have always had a commanding principle engraved in my head by my towering academic standards; nothing other than the best possible grade is acceptable. Failure to get an A results in the world collapsing in on itself and devastation beyond my comprehension. I could go on and on, but really, the point is, I have unreasonable standards for myself.

This is both a blessing and a curse. I get straight A’s, I’m a near perfect student, and I feel very motivated to maintain that. So motivated, in fact, that it has been somewhat of a curse. Once, it led me down the wrong path. A path where I made a mistake, that led to guilt, that led to one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. But it also taught me a law of life that I’ve lived by ever since. As William Shakespeare once wrote in his play All’s Well that Ends Well, “No legacy is so rich as honesty.”

The story starts in August of 2023, when I began 6th grade. I had no idea what I was in for when it came to middle school. I had just finished 5th grade, where I had no homework whatsoever. I knew I was a good student, but I still had a lot of nerves nonetheless. The homework was a shock to the system, and I was anxious for the first month or so. Nevertheless, I was getting good grades, and after a while, I was beginning to feel comfortable with middle school.

That was, until a Friday sometime in late September, when my social studies teacher gave the class a quiz where we had to differentiate longitude and latitude lines on a map. He had warned us about it earlier in the week, but I never studied or learned the difference. Now, I was in class staring at what was essentially a 50/50 chance between a 4/4 quiz and a 2/4 quiz. I was freaking out in my head, considering that I was a perfectionist to an irrational level at the time. I turned in the quiz with a guess, and decided to look at other work I had to do, until I noticed a google doc for social studies about longitude and latitude. I decided to click on it to check my answer to the quiz, and it turned out I had them mixed up. I panicked on the inside, desperately trying to come up with a way to fix this.

I was under the influence of delusional perfectionism, and this delusional perfectionism led me to make one of the most significant decisions I have made in my life. I asked the teacher if I could check

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my answer on the test, and he said sure, so I got up and grabbed my turned in paper to revise the answers. I turned in the paper again with the correct answers.

I left the class for 3rd period. It didn’t hit me until about 4th period that what I had done was wrong. I felt this pit in my chest and it wouldn’t go away. The weight of my actions crushed me to a pulp. I do not remember too much from that day, but I imagine you could see the guilt on my face; staring off into the past, willing myself to redo things the righteous way. I told both my parents when I got home and they both knew what I did was wrong, but I believe they could also see my guilt.

That was a long, long weekend. I debated with myself constantly over whether or not I should admit cheating on the quiz. Over and over, I saw the teacher and principal calling home, suspending me, and hurting my permanent record. I was frozen with indecision between relieving the overwhelming guilt and accepting the consequences, or getting away with it, as I easily could have, and having to live with the guilt.

I chose the path that has turned me into the student I am today. I emailed the teacher. He wasn’t too terribly mad and never even called me to the office or disciplined me for it. I am extremely grateful for how he answered, really to a degree words cannot describe. All he did was take the points off of the grade and he told me not to do it again. It was that simple, and I was so relieved.

This leads me to my law of life, that “No legacy is so rich as honesty.” I could have left a legacy of dishonesty in this situation. I could have chosen to get away with it, and no one would ever have known. But even if no one found out, I would still be leaving a legacy of dishonesty for myself.

Instead, as I left that 6th grade social studies class and moved on to higher grades and bigger things, I left a legacy where I was honest, and that taught me way more than the difference between longitude and latitude.

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Naftali Glaser

1st Place Special Theme Grade 8 Columbus Gifted Academy

TEACHER: LAUREL MURPHY CONTEST COORDINATOR: SHERRY DANIEL

Invisible Victories I used to think that success meant being chosen, then I learned that sometimes the most important victories are invisible. True success comes from responsibility, not from titles, recognition, or power. In the Torah, there’s a story that teaches something deeper: responsibility. Joshua was not chosen because of power or status, but because he faithfully followed God’s laws and lived as a good person. Through his actions, Joshua demonstrates that real success is measured not by recognition or authority, but by responsibility and the choices we make. I personally learned this lesson through my Bar Mitzvah and preparation. It required months of dedication, practice, and commitment. No one saw the long hours of me studying the Torah portion, repeating it time after time, improving more after each mistake. But those unseen efforts mattered more than anything.

When the time came, and I had to stand and lead the service, it was not about attention, it was about accepting responsibility for my faith. My Bar Mitzvah taught me that true success is not about being chosen or celebrated, but about showing up, doing the work, and taking responsibility for who you become.

In the Torah, the prophet Zechariah has a vision in which the High Priest Joshua is accused

by Satan, who is referred to as “the Accuser.” The Accuser claims that Joshua is not fit to be a priest.

However, an angel comes to Joshua’s defense, explaining that he follows Jewish law and is a good and righteous person. The angel says that if Joshua remains faithful, he will serve as High Priest in the rebuilt Temple. The angel also adds, “Not by might and not by power, but by My spirit.”

When Joshua was being accused, God rejected the Accuser’s argument outright, describing Joshua as “a brand plucked from the fire.” Despite being dressed in filthy garments, Joshua still has value and purpose. This teaches us that we cannot judge or value someone only by outward appearances. Instead, we must look at the invisible traits of character, spirit, and intention. Joshua’s story and the angel’s words together show that true success and worth are rooted in responsibility, not in titles, power, or recognition.

If we look at a painful time like the Holocaust, many Jewish people suffered unimaginable horrors. They were physically broken and treated cruelly. Yet many of them held onto their faith and

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identity. They took responsibility for preserving their religion and traditions, even in the darkest times.

Their strength did not come from physical power, but from their spirit and their commitment.

There is obviously a big difference between what they went through and my own life. But what I have learned from this Torah portion is what it means to focus on spirit and responsibility in my everyday challenges.

This past year, my school started a new program where students were sorted into different houses, similar to Harry Potter. Each teacher chose two students from their house who showed the most passion and had strong grades. I really hoped to be chosen, but I wasn’t. At first, I felt disappointed. I thought that not being selected meant I had failed.

But instead of giving up, I decided to take responsibility for my own success. I worked harder and earned straight A’s. Even though I didn’t receive the title I wanted, I still supported my house by earning the fourth highest number of house points in the competition. I realized that being responsible for my effort and attitude mattered more than being chosen. True success is not about recognition, it is about commitment and spirit.

Some of the most triumphant victories are invisible. Nobody may see the work and effort you put into it, but they don’t have to. An invisible victory is when you choose to do the right thing when no one sees you. You gain invisible victories when you fulfill responsibilities. This Torah portion reminds me that true strength comes from spirit, and that I am responsible for how I respond to challenges. Even when times are tough, I can choose to act with responsibility.

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Hazel Ruprecht

2nd Place Special Theme Grade 7 St Vincent de Paul School

TEACHER & CONTEST COORDINATOR: KATHERINE HUDSON

Responsibility John F. Kennedy once said, “I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty”. To me, this means that responsibility isn’t something that you’re born with, it’s not just completing assigned tasks, and it’s definitely not being selfish, irresponsible, or immature. Responsibility means being held accountable, knowing to do daily or random duties and tasks, taking ownership for good and bad decisions. Responsibility is something you can only earn over time. All these reasons are why I chose responsibility for my law of life.

Responsibility is a lot harder than you would think. For instance, if I know that the trash is full, I, most times, would take it out without being told too. Some days though, I don’t want to bother with it and hope others will do it. This is a way that I’m being selfish. That’s why I set personal goals to do more chores like this. Most times when I do take out the trash or feed the dog without being told to, I won’t have to do it later. I also gain my parents’ trust because they know I’m acting responsible. It’s not just “responsibility” you gain though. People trust you on other tasks, they know they can count on you, and they even may give you privileges like maybe getting a cat because they know you can handle and take care of one!

Now responsibility is a choice. You can one day decide that you’re not going to do any of your daily tasks like waking up on time for school, remembering to do your homework, packing your lunch, and folding your laundry. If you do this, it won’t turn out good because most times people will lose trust in you because your tasks aren’t completed. Some may even get mad if it was serious and distance themselves from you. Lastly, they will know that you don’t have the will power to stop what you’re doing and do your jobs. Therefore, no one will completely trust you. This always makes me want to ask myself though. Am I really being responsible for others or myself? Am I being responsible to help others or make me look better than others?

Sometimes, being responsible is hard or frustrating because of all that you’re doing and completing. It’s not so bad when you look at the bright side of things. When it comes to responsibility, you gain trust! Now trust sounds like a good thing I bet, but I think trust is one of the greatest things

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to earn. It’s almost like trust and responsibility work together to make you greater and better than you were the day before. Nothing bad can ever be the outcome if you are being responsible.

Last year, when I was in sixth grade, I struggled with science because I thought it was very confusing. My goal was to get all A’s, but for the first, second, and third quarter, I only had B’s. This made me very frustrated. Looking back, I realized exactly why I couldn’t seem to go higher than a B. It wasn’t obvious for me before, but I never studied enough! I was hoping that my brain would somehow take in all the information from just reading in class. It clearly didn’t though. Fourth quarter was when I tried really hard to get an A. I would bring my science book home to reread the things we read in class, I looked at all the vocabulary multiple times and I studied too. In the end, I realized that hard work, perseverance, patience, and most importantly, responsibility can get you farther than you were the day before. By the end of the year, I did end up having all A’s. My goal was accomplished.

In conclusion, I think responsibility is one of the most important laws of life. Responsibility is key to success for every opportunity and obligation, just like John F. Kennedy said. Therefore I think we should all try to be a little more responsible than we were yesterday. Lastly, to answer the question before, are you trying to be responsible for others or yourself? Always remember that God wants us to put others before ourselves. I think that this means that you should want to be responsible so that you could help others and not focus on the benefits of being responsible.

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Amadou Wane 1st Place - Grade 8 Columbus Gifted Academy

TEACHER: LAUREL MURPHY CONTEST COORDINATOR: SHERRY DANIEL

Leadership: Intention Not Attention I used to believe leadership was about being the loudest person in the room or the one giving orders. But as I’ve grown, I’ve realized that real leadership is much quieter than that. Leadership doesn’t always mean to stand in front of a crowd, it can also mean to sit beside someone who is hurting and needs help. Leadership is not about attention, it’s about intention.

To me, leadership means setting an example, being dependable, and constantly working to become a better person. It is not just a title that someone just hands you, it is a choice you make in everyday moments-especially the difficult ones. Leadership is my law of life for three main reasons: I want to positively influence younger people and others, I want others to know they can rely on me, and leadership challenges me to grow in character every single day.

Initially, I want to be a good influence on people younger than me. Leadership is not about trying to be noticed by younger kids, it’s about being intentional with my actions and how I act near them. I realize now that younger kids notice more than we think, they learn from what they see. That realization makes me understand how important my actions are.

The kids are always watching, but true leadership is not about performing for their attention.

Being looked up to is not about feeling important, it is about feeling responsible. If I show respect, discipline, and kindness, it should not be because I want praise or recognition but it should be because I genuinely want to set a positive example. Being looked up to is not about feeling important, it’s about being intentional. When being seen as an example or as an inspiration, better choices are made. If I can inspire even one younger person to believe in themselves more and to treat others better, I know that I have done something good. That kind of impact lasts longer than any award could.

Furthermore, leadership means being someone people can rely on, especially during difficult times. I really understood this when one of my close friends lost his sibling. When I found out about this, I didn’t know what to do but I knew how he felt because I had also lost one of my siblings. I felt like I couldn’t help him at first because I couldn’t fix what had happened. But then I remembered what my dad told me: leadership isn’t always about fixing things. Sometimes it’s simply about being there.

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So I stayed. I checked up on him and I sat with him even when we didn’t talk. I listened when he wanted to speak and respected his silence when he didn’t. I made sure he knew he wasn’t alone and that experience changed my understanding of leadership forever. At that moment, no one was watching, and I knew there was no recognition I was going to get, but it felt like the most important choice I’ve ever made. Leadership at that time meant putting his pain before my own comfort.

Since then, I’ve realized that being reliable is one of the most powerful qualities a leader could have. When someone trusts you during their lowest moments, that trust should never be broken. I want to be the kind of person people think of when they need support. Not because I have answers to their problems, but because they know I will stay. I’m not just there for someone for people to see me helping them, I’m there so they know that they have someone to trust when in need.

As a result, leadership improves me every day. I am still young and I know that I have so much to learn, but every time I choose to step up instead of step back, I grow. Leadership teaches me patience, humility, and courage. Leadership can sometimes mean admitting I was wrong and taking responsibility when it’s uncomfortable. Those moments aren’t very easy, but they shape my character.

When one person chooses kindness or accountability, it sets a quiet standard for others.

People don’t say it out loud, but they notice consistency and character. By leading with compassion and strength, I can help create an environment where those qualities become normal instead of rare.

Choosing to live with these traits can shift the tone of a room, spreading positivity like a ripple effect.

There is a quiet sense of pride that comes with leadership, not pride in being above others, but pride in knowing you stood up when it mattered. Sometimes the strongest leadership is quiet and shown through consistent character. Leadership constantly gives me choices, I could ignore problems or face them. I could think only about myself or think about how I can serve others. I can walk away when things get difficult, or I can stay. I choose to stay.

One day, I hope people don’t just remember what I accomplished, I hope they remember that I was dependable. That I cared. That I showed up. I want people to know me as someone who made a positive impact. I want people to know me as someone with great character and leadership traits.

Leadership is not about standing in front of everyone, it is about quietly being there for someone when they need you the most. And that is the person I am choosing to become.

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Alisyn Walter

2nd Place - Grade 8

West Muskingum Middle School CONTEST COORDINATOR: CHELSIE WRIGHT

Honesty If someone catches you in a lie once, they know that you would do it again. When I am older, I will continue to tell the truth and be straightforward with people to avoid consequences. A law of life that I live by is honesty. Just telling the truth and being sincere is very mature and helps build ones’ character. If people will remember you as a true person and for owning up to your mistakes by being truthful, that’s a very appropriate thing to be remembered by. What good is it to be dishonest to someone or hide something if it will be acknowledged eventually? When a family member or a friend lies to me, I feel betrayed or stupid. Stupid for not realizing sooner and for being deceived. But why should I, a 14 year old, need to worry about who I can or cannot trust? I think ahead about who I can believe or not because I have seen in my life the damage that lying and sneaking can do.

My seventh grade year, around August to October, something happened in my family and everything changed. I didn’t look at my sister the same after the many things that happened. I began to second guess myself when I was told something by someone. Except that time, I experienced it firsthand so I didn’t need to worry about being lied to. Everything was different. I felt dumb. It felt as though everyone was mad for the next two months in the house. I went to school everyday and couldn’t talk about the situation. I struggled with my performance with school, yet I kept my grades up because it was expected of me. I struggled to not want to fall asleep in class. When I got home, I was tired. With this, I never understood why people think that dishonesty is fine. I guess the people that hide things and keep secrets don’t think about how the consequences of their actions can affect others. But whatever, because lying doesn’t do any damage, right?

Something else in my life that I have seen and I will not be repeating is dishonesty in marriages. I can’t grasp how someone can vow to their partner for life, and then proceed to lie, sneak, hide, or cheat. I believe that loyalty and honesty are very similar things, important, too. If somebody had something to lie about, they most likely shouldn’t have done it. When I was about two years old, my father was disloyal and dishonest to my mother and the consequences didn’t just affect them. We had a family. Lying is not worth breaking your family apart for. Even to this day, the outcome of their divorce still affects my sisters and I. I mean, every other weekend we have to pack

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up our bags and go to our father’s house for two days. Pack some clothes, a charger, and other things we may need. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? It’s not too enjoyable to have two places to call home.

I only have one home. I have two parents. One parent is a person who I spend the night with for four days a month, visit on most Wednesdays after class, and need to be back with my mom by 7:30 at night. The other parent is the one who schedules my appointments, drives me to softball, and provides for me every other 26 days of the month. Both of my parents have found somebody else and moved on, but the damage is done. It’s nothing like what it should’ve been. Of course, I love my family and was taught to forgive, but sometimes the thoughts just sit in the back of my mind. None of this should have happened if people were genuine and straightforward with one another. But whatever, because lying doesn’t do any damage, right?

Now, my sisters and I would not have to worry about these extra responsibilities and need to pack a bag every other weekend if it wasn’t for dishonesty in the first place. This just shows how quickly things can change in a home and how lying affects other people around you, not just the person being disloyal. The longer somebody defends a lie, the more hurt that will be dealt. I will strive to be honest to people now and as I go forward, because I realize how important telling the truth is. Also, I would feel terrible if someone felt that they can’t trust me because of a lie I once told.

I don’t want to be known or remembered as a dishonest person, I want to be truthful and sincere.

I guess the next time that one thinks about lying, they should ask themselves if it’s worth it. Ask themselves if it’s worth the trust issues, worth the consequences.

But it’s whatever, because lying doesn’t do any damage, right?

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Emily Porr

3rd Place - Grade 8 Columbus Gifted Academy

TEACHER: LAUREL MURPHY CONTEST COORDINATOR: SHERRY DANIEL

Spiraling Self-Respect “Nobody is perfect. I just don’t believe in perfection. But I do believe in saying, ‘This is who I am and look at me not being perfect!’ I’m proud of that.” - Kate Winslet Perfection is always praised - in work, life, accomplishments, looks - but is not always questioned. Some people don’t fully acknowledge their full worth, and even though it’s there, it can sometimes be hard to find. Finding and acknowledging my self-respect is the most valuable law to me.

It has taken a while for me to really learn what self-respect means; I always thought that it was just knowing when you need to do something for yourself and stand up for your beliefs. But really, it is so, so much more. It begins when you can acknowledge your limits - understand them, and still be able to challenge yourself to make yourself the best you can be. Self-respect means taking breaks and taking care of yourself when you need it. It means being confident in yourself, your abilities, and your beliefs, and it means standing up for your thoughts and opinions - not letting your ideas be ignored or rejected. But maybe the most important of all, self-respect means knowing your worth. I think that, of all other definitions of ‘self-respect,’ is the hardest for me to accept.

My whole life I have tried to be the person who is there for my friends, the one who knows when to stop, the one who knows my limits and tries to do everything to the best of my ability.

I’ve been successful in those, though I know I’ll mess up, yell at my brother, or do a half-hearted assignment. But I do know that I try my best. I have been told to stand up for myself, to be my own person, and to know my worth - but it’s easier said than done. I have always struggled with seeing my true worth because I honestly sometimes don’t believe that it’s there. Every single time I make a mistake, or embarrass myself even a little bit, or do something I know I shouldn’t, the voice in my head is relentless - no one has ever judged me nearly as much as I judge myself. It feels like a slap to the face, and I think to myself, You’re not good enough. Everyone is waiting for you to fail. All you are is a mistake. Why would you do that? And on and on it goes, over and over again, until I feel so small, so stupid, that I’ll never talk to anyone again. Ever. Yeah. Sounds like a good plan, right? And then of course, I’ll do something good, or something that I’m proud of, which balances the negative

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thoughts. But most of the time all I can think of is what other people would think of it, or how long it will take for people to hate me for something. But I never stop to think about what made me special, what I’m actually worth.

I remember a time when I was leading my peer group while we were trying to come up with a presentation. I had this great idea that I thought everyone would like, and so I eventually worked up the courage to say it out loud, only to have people ignore it - I remember thinking, Oh, it’s fine. It probably wasn’t a very good idea anyway, we could come up with something better. And then I had to remind myself that yes, I have good ideas, and that yes, they are worth sharing. So I took a deep breath, opened my mouth, and tried again, in a clear, confident voice, and this time, people listened.

We ended up using my idea as the presentation later that week. These are the times when I am proud of myself, and when I know I’m worthy of anything good that comes my way.

When the world feels like it’s beating down on me, it can be hard to even remember that I matter. But then I remember all the good things I’ve done that have made me feel like I matter, and like I am worth something. I remember when I did a really good job on my homework assignment, or even when I helped my friend with their homework. I remember when I gave someone a gift and made them smile, and when I got a compliment on an art piece I made. I remember when I felt confident in a decision I made, and realized that not all of my ideas are bad or stupid. The truth is, I’m still learning how to accept myself the way I am, and to stop comparing myself to others. I’m still learning how to speak my mind, and how to not let people push away my ideas. I’m still learning how to be my own person, to let myself stop wondering what other people think and comparing myself to them. But I also know that learning takes time. For now, I’ll just keep reminding myself to not compare myself to others, to stand up for myself, until I do. I may not fully respect myself just yet - but I’m learning to.

Self-respect is not only being confident and taking care of yourself, it is also about standing up for your thoughts and ideas, and most importantly, realizing and accepting your worth. I know that eventually the downward spiral away from self-worth will end, and the spiral toward self-worth will begin again. Happiness doesn’t start when you become perfect - it begins only when you believe you are worthy of it.

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Dahlia Johnson 1st Place - Grade 7 Dominion Middle School

TEACHER: DAVID EDWARDS CONTEST COORDINATOR: LAUREN NOBLE

Perseverance Paves The Way “Sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together.” -Marilyn Monroe. This quote is something people should learn to understand, something they should grow from. I want to push through the falling apart to get something better. This quote can mean so much to the people who need it and choose to believe it. Sometimes you’re stuck in a place where things keep falling apart. You can’t always stop them, so you have to persevere, and that is just what I did last year in the sport that means a lot to me: gymnastics.

I loved gymnastics as a hobby, but the other gymnasts at practice made me want it to be more than that. They were amazing, and I wanted to be as talented as them; of course, I didn’t consider the fact that I was at least a few years younger than them. I remember watching Simone Biles at the Olympics as a little kid. Every true gymnast wanted to be able to achieve what she had, so I tried harder, and I ended up trying too much.

The more I did, the more I started to overthink almost everything. I had anxiety as a kid, and it hasn’t really gone away, maybe just decreased. It was still there through my entire life, a lifelong friend that I had never wanted. Some nights all the possible things that could happen the next day filled my mind like water breaking through a dam. My stomach would ache and scream for help from all the wondering, and I would cry silently, worried I would wake my family. I didn’t want to become a problem and disturb them while they were sleeping. All the anxiety swarmed in my head as I did the harder skills, like a half which is basically roundoff on the vault.

I would start to lose control; I didn’t know what was happening, as I went in circles in the air. I feared I would lose control again. Then, mental blocks started to form. In almost every gymnastics event, there were now multiple skills that I dreaded, or I broke down just thinking about performing them. At practices, my coach would tell me that I was better than this and everyone there knew I could do it, but I didn’t. Truly that was the most important thing: believing in myself.

My coach at the time told me that it was bad for me and almost unsafe for me to be doing the easy skills because I was getting taller, but those kinds of skills were so easy, and I didn’t get mental blocks while doing them. I mostly struggled on vault when I was younger. While it may look easy, it

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definitely isn’t. In previous years, I had been too young to vault over the table used in the Olympics, so for those years I vaulted over a 3 foot mat. When I was vaulting over the mat, I wished I could vault over the real vault. When that wish became a reality, I suddenly didn’t want it.

Even though I only had one practice a week, I got sick of gymnastics. Still I wanted to take practice more nights a week because I wanted to emulate everyone else. My parents told me no because they could see I wasn’t exactly enjoying the sport. They didn’t feel the need to spend more money on something that didn’t make me happy. I would cry on the car ride home just because they would ask me what had happened at practice. I got to the point where I wanted to quit, and I told myself to quit on a good day, not a bad one.

Ultimately, I knew perseverance was the right thing to do. I didn’t want to give up on myself.

I fell down millions of times but got up billions. Getting up was harder than simply just falling or giving up. I guess that was why I did it; I didn’t want to put in the hard work and that was probably why I wasn’t the best. I tended to take the easier route or get scared over little things, things that I shouldn’t have gotten scared about. As the summer of 2025 came to an end, I started a new class on a different day, due to other sports and commitments. I got a new coach and new teammates.

I started to love my coach because she had a sparky personality, but she also helped me to grow more than my last one. Over the summer, I started to improve and overcome all of my mental blocks.

I couldn’t believe it when I started to become excited about going to practices. I made new friends, too, one that inspired me to be myself and pushed me to keep going. I started to say funny things that made people laugh. It was definitely clear that I was finding my old self again. The old me cared about people other than myself and was optimistic.

Over the years, I moved up a level just like I had hoped, and now vault was somehow my best event. I could do the skills that I wished I could have done less than a year ago. I realized I wasn’t in this to win or lose, but to become a stronger person. I was able to become stronger because I got through the hard days. Putting in the effort was more important than what came as the reward.

Perseverance is a skill in gymnastics I will never stop working on. I do think it is true that good things fall apart, so that better ones can fall together. So in the end, all of it, the good and the bad, was worth the pain.

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Anaam Abdi

2nd Place - Grade 7 Minerva Park Middle School

TEACHER: BETH MORVAY CONTEST COORDINATOR: DEBBIE PELLINGTON

2026 Responsibility Weston Churchill once said, “Responsibility is the price of greatness.” This quote shows that being responsible is an important part of becoming a better person. Responsibility doesn’t seem important and can even come across as stressful or difficult but it plays a big role in everyday life, especially in school. I found this out through a simple experience that shows me why being reliable is important. At first, I didn’t think it mattered much but realized that even the smallest things can have a bigger impact than they appear.

One day after I came home from school, I was helping my mom keep track of my younger brother while she was busy cooking. At first I didn’t think it was a big deal. My baby brother usually was busy with his toys, so I thought it would be easy. While I was supposed to be paying attention I started scrolling on my phone and texting my friends. I kept thinking I could multitask and still watch him at the same time, but I was wrong. After a while, I heard the front door close. I realized I haven’t seen my younger brother in a while. I looked around and couldn’t find him so I thought back to when I heard the door closing and checked outside and there I saw my younger brother playing with the snow outside with no jacket on. I hurriedly picked him up and wrapped him with a blanket. I felt at fault because I wasn’t paying attention and told my mom what had happened.

Later, my mom talked to me about it and explained that when someone tells you to do something important, you have to take it seriously and be responsible. She said that small mistakes can cause bigger problems if you aren’t careful. That moment made me understand being responsible is more than finishing a task, it’s also about making sure your actions don’t cause problems for others. Since then I have tried to be more careful when I am given a task. Whether it is helping at home, finishing homework, or supporting a friend, I try to give my full attention. I also try to think ahead about what could go wrong and plan for it.

Being responsible is important because it helps things run more smoothly. When you take your tasks seriously, people can depend on you, and problems are less likely to happen. It also helps you manage your time better and avoid unnecessary stress. Responsibility shows maturity, helps build trust with others, and makes it easier to handle bigger challenges in the future. Even small acts

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of responsibility matter, and learning to do them well can make life easier for everyone.

Overall, learning to be responsible has taught me how important it is to pay attention and follow through on tasks. It helps people trust you, keeps things running smoothly and makes life less hard. Even small responsibilities matter and practicing them can make a big difference in school, at home, and in everyday life. I know I will keep working on being responsible because it makes things easier for me and for the people around me.

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Warren Prince

3rd Place - Grade 7 Coshocton Middle School

CONTEST COORDINATOR: SHERI LONSBERRY

Respect Speaks Loudly In A Room Of Hate Google’s definition of respect is a feeling of deep admiration for someone. But my definition of respect is to show love and kindness to those around you. To me, respect is an important aspect of life, and you shouldn’t take it for granted. From my personal experience, I wish I had shown more respect to my parents at a younger age. I’m glad I caught on before it was too late. My message to others is to show respect: respect their boundaries, respect their beliefs, respect what they do and don’t like, because at the end of the day, we are all human. Not creatures or monsters, depending on today’s norms and beliefs, we are all human. Everyone should be treated that way. My favorite quote is “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” This is a quote by Dr. Suess. Some may think that has no correlation to respect, but if you analyze it, it truly means that no matter their weight, height, age, gender, beliefs, and appearance, they’re still a person, a human, and should all be treated with respect.

I have learned that when I respect someone, it makes me feel happy deep down inside my heart. It betters yourself and those around you. I have made many new friends because of being respectful. Simple actions like holding the door for someone and listening while someone’s talking.

Can go a long way and it shows respect. I know that when someone holds the door open for me and doesn’t speak over me, I feel respected and I feel seen, not just another person in another person’s life. A story I’ve had to live through is one of my friends trying to take his own life. He was neglected by his parents and peers. Knowing that, I showed him with the utmost respect I could, and over time, he told me he was getting the help he needed and told me if it wasn’t because of me, he would’ve taken his own life. He told me he felt human, not just an object in everyday life, and he felt seen because of our friendship. He also told me that respecting his beliefs and never making fun of them helped the most because, before, he was always made fun of for believing in a different religion. To him, battling through the suffering of believing in something that other people do not was the hardest. Finding ways to respect others, even in small quantities, helps because you truly never know what someone is going through, and even the smallest and simplest kind action can go a long way in someone’s heart.

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The world is filled with hate and discrimination, but a single person respecting others is a small step toward making the world a better place. I feel as if we lived in a society where there is no hate, whether it be cyberbullying or bullying, suicide rates would drop to almost nothing. Not just suicide rates, but self-harm in general. From my personal experience, I was also in a situation like my friend. I felt left out and excluded from things; my friends were constantly making fun of me for liking things they didn’t, and that’s when I realized being friends with them was not only a bad idea, but it was also hurting my mental health. So that’s when I left that friend group, and I met new people and became friends because I respected them and they respected me. I’m glad I met them because they changed my perspective on life, that you should never give up. The hardest part of that was respecting people after you weren’t respected, but it’s important that you do. Because it can change your life. For me, respecting people is the most important law of life because it makes your life better. You feel better, you act better, you meet new people, and people respect you for being you.

Everyone should be loved and respected because you never know what someone is going through, and it can go a long way in someone’s life, whether it makes their day or changes their life.

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Lyna Alilouche

1st Place - Grade 6 Ridgeview Middle School

TEACHER: SANDY WALTERS CONTEST COORDINATOR: LOVIE DEBNAM

Responsibility Is More Than An Ability Responsibility is not just a word or phrase, but an action. Responsibility is the way to trust some, the way to see the good in things. Things like hope, people, and life. Responsibility is the way to trust someone, learn about things in life, and to grow to become a better person.

An important way I learned about responsibility was when I had to take care of my cousin’s cat for a week. It was a very warm day and my cousin was going to the beach for a week and she wanted me to help take care of her cat as she was gone. I was really excited to take care of her but also was anxious, what if I forgot to feed her? What if she runs away, I had so many bad thoughts about taking care of her that I didn’t feel her laying on my lap. She looked so relaxed and adorable, and then I knew I had to be responsible for her. Yea, it was hard, I had to bath her, feed her, and just generally take care of her. After a week my cousin came back still talking about the beach, until she saw her cat. She keeped telling me how well I did taking care of her cat, praising me for my responsibility.

That’s when I realized that maybe it was hard to be responsible, but it definitely pays off. Not just in maturity, but in trust, in building good relationships, for a better world for all the different laws of life.

Responsibility is an important value in someone’s life, including yours. It means being accountable for your actions, growth, and decisions you make. Learning how to be responsible can help you become an advocate and a trustworthy person to your communities. Without responsibility, it would be difficult for people to work together and achieve success.

First of all, responsibility helps individuals develop good habits. When people take responsibility for their actions, for example, completing school work or at home chores teaches you how to manage your time and effort on things. These habits help you stay organized and focused on things you will need to grow on or with, which is important for trying to achieve goals. Being responsible can also teach people how to make better choices in life for the future.

Responsibility also helps you trust and respect others. When you keep your promises and do what you say you do, people can learn to depend and ask help from you. In friendships, communities, and households, responsibility helps out with your relationships with others. Also People know to work together when they know everyone is doing their part in whatever they are

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doing. This can strengthen your relationships and trust with others.

Finally, responsibility teaches you to face the consequences of your actions. We all make mistakes once in a while, but when you are responsible you admit the truth even if there are consequences you should try learning from them. Taking ownership of your mistakes helps you grow and improve. It also shows honesty and growth in a person, which are important qualities in life.

In conclusion, responsibility is a value that helps people succeed and live well with others. It teaches discipline, builds trust, and encourages personal growth. By being responsible, individuals contribute positively to their communities and prepare themselves for the future.

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Maggie Green

2nd Place - Grade 6 Ridgeview Middle School

TEACHER: SANDY WALTERS CONTEST COORDINATOR: LOVIE DEBNAM

Loyalty Laws of life. An extremely important thing to know and use. But, what are they? Laws of life are hidden, personal properties of a person that someone seeks and believes that is important to be a good person. Personally, my main laws of life are Humor (You don’t want an awkward dry friend or family member, do you?), Loyalty (Would you want someone that you know closely to give up on you when you need them most?), and Kindness (Would you want a person you know closely to be rude and mean to you all of the time?). But, out of these 3 laws of life I follow and look for. I feel that Loyalty is the most important. But why is Loyalty so important you may ask? Well, I have a handful of reasons to share with you about why Loyalty (In my opinion) is the most important law of life to follow.

Firstly, Loyalty is the most important Law of Life because it teaches you to never give up. How does it do this? Have an example; You and a friend are dangling off a cliff, you aren’t great friends with this person, but you know them enough to trust them. You have the upper body strength to pull yourself up and get to safety—But your buddy does not. Loyalty would be using your strength to help lift your friend up and out of the cliff. But Disloyalty would be to leave them there to fend for themselves. A personal experience I have had with loyalty that is similar to this situation was when I had English homework due the next day. It was a Sunday, and I had forgotten my work in my locker at school. I nearly had a panic attack. I texted everyone I knew to send me a photo of the questions so I could answer them and turn in work, even if it wasn’t the original copy. I was starting to lose hope—since nobody was texting me back. But after 5-10 minutes of waiting, I saw that my best friend Vanessa had texted me back and was going to send me the questions, and when I thanked her, all she had to say was “I’m a girls girl.” and that message honestly taught me to be a little kinder and more Loyal.

Second of all, Loyalty is the most important Law of Life because it helps bond relationships.

How does this happen you may ask? Here’s an example; Say you have a dog, a small, golden retriever. Still a puppy, but still a little bundle of joy. Picture this dog in your head. Now tell me, would you rather have this cute little dog not listen to you and try to run away, even though they have a wonderful home? Or would you rather that this dog will listen to you and do what you tell it to? I’m assuming we all want the 2nd option, for the dog to listen to you. If the 2nd dog makes you happy, 26

why do you think that is? Well, it’s because the dog is Loyal! A part of bonding with partners, or friends, or families, is trust. To have trust you must be Loyal, because who would ever want to trust a Disloyal person..? A personal experience I have had that’s similar to this is when me and my brother were playing outside in the trees. I was way too high up and couldn’t get down without jumping down. My brother told me to get down as far as possible, and then he would try to catch me. I was scared he was going to lie and drop me and I was going to get hurt, but I trusted him and I jumped.

My brother thankfully caught me and showed loyalty to me. I would’ve been injured if he lied to me..

Because he told the truth, I ended up hanging out with him for the rest of the day, and bonded with him. If he had lied to me, he would’ve broken my trust and been Unloyal, and I wouldn’t have bonded with him (and also probably would’ve been seriously injured).

Lastly, Loyalty is the most important Law of Life because if we didn’t have loyalty, most people would betray others. Picture this: a life where everyone is disloyal to each other. Immediately, families would be torn apart, friendships that lasted years would be ripped to shreds. Even the animals would start backstabbing each other. Everything would descend into chaos, and it wouldn’t be pretty.

Loyalty is so important to have a happy, healthy bond with someone else or multiple people. Without loyalty, people would turn their backs on others, and death would most likely go up by a lot. Not having loyalty can be an extreme problem if you want to have friends that trust you. An experience I have with this was in the third grade. There was this girl, her name was Hadley. Hadley was like the popular girl of our school, everyone thought she was cool, but people weren’t like her minions or anything. Me and Hadley were great friends, we had this friend group. It was Hadley, Emily, Jane, and Me. We all got along nicely and never usually fought. Until one day, we were leaving to go home, and I was going to go sit next to Hadley so we could talk together. But Hadley told me to go away.

I thought something was wrong or she was upset, so I asked her what was wrong, and you want to know what Hadley said? Hadley told me that she didn’t want to hang out with me because I was “weird” and “gay”. I didn’t even know what gay meant at the time. I had been loyal to Hadley since the day I had met her, and even after all of the bonding and favors I had done for her, she started bullying me just because I had my own interests in things. Hadley went on to start rumors about me and drew a photo of me saying that I was a crybaby. I admit, I’m sensitive. But saying that I was a crybaby was the breaking point. I seriously hated myself after that, and I felt like Hadley may have been right. But I ended up realizing that being weird is ok, as long as you aren’t hurting others while doing it. Hadley showed that being disloyal can seriously hurt other people, and that if everyone was disloyal like Hadley, the world would be crumbled into bits in less than a day.

In conclusion, Loyalty is the most important law of life because it teaches you to never give up, it helps bond relationships, and it keeps our world together. I have been loyal to my friends my entire life, and because of me being loyal, my friends stick with me, instead of leaving me and hating me. Being loyal shows that you care for the people in your life, and that they should trust you in situations. Being loyal can also show how dedicated you are to a friendship or a bond with someone.

Disloyalty is never an okay thing, especially if it hurts someone in a way that is irreversible. This was my essay on why Loyalty is the most important law of life.

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Autumn Laury

3rd Place - Grade 6

Columbus Preparatory for Girls TEACHER & CONTEST COORDINATOR: RACHEL SIEBERT

Law of Life Autumn was a young girl who didn’t like responsibility. She preferred having fun and doing whatever she wanted instead of chores or tasks that felt boring. When she had to do something, she usually rushed or did it half-heartedly, thinking it didn’t matter if it wasn’t perfect. To her, life was better when she didn’t have to worry about rules, work, or paying attention to details.

One day, Autumn decided to earn money by washing cars in her neighborhood. She thought it would be easy and fun, imagining herself making money without much effort. She grabbed a bucket, soap, and a sponge and started scrubbing. At first, she worked quickly, splashing water everywhere and ignoring parts of the car that were still dirty. She didn’t notice the streaks she left behind or the spots she missed because she was focused on finishing fast. When the neighbor returned, they were upset. The car was messy, not clean, and they refused to pay her. Autumn felt embarrassed and frustrated. Tears came to her eyes, but what hurt most was realizing she had failed because she hadn’t taken her work seriously.

That evening, Autumn thought about what had happened. She realized that rushing and ignoring details didn’t help anyone, not even herself. Responsibility meant taking care and doing a good job, even if it was hard or took time. She decided to try again, but this time she would work carefully. When she got another client, she washed the car slowly and thoroughly. She cleaned every tire, polished every window, and made sure no spots were missed. The neighbor was very happy and paid her right away. Autumn felt proud of her work. For the first time, she understood that doing a job well and taking responsibility could feel good, and that success came from effort, patience, and care.

After that experience, Autumn started approaching other tasks differently. She still enjoyed fun and freedom, but she learned that being responsible didn’t mean giving up enjoyment- it meant balancing fun with effort. Chores, schoolwork, and jobs became challenges she could take pride in completing. Autumn realized that her actions had consequences, and she could earn respect and trust by doing things the right way. With every job she finished well, she gained confidence, and the lessons she learned stayed with her, helping her grow into someone who could enjoy life while still being responsible.

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Participating Schools Columbus Gifted Academy Columbus Preparatory for Boys Columbus Preparatory for Girls Coshocton Middle School Dominion Middle School Eversole Run Middle School Genoa Middle School Holy Trinity School

Indianola Informal K-8 Minerva Park Middle School Ridgeview Middle School St. Vincent de Paul School The Wellington School West Muskingum Middle School Zenith Academy East

2026 Laws of Life Judges We would like to thank the following individuals for their dedicated service in judging the 2026 Central Ohio BBB Laws of Life Essay Contest.

Roberta Camp Albert Lucy Frontera Sara Gordon Debbie Ketner

Sarah McCabe Tara Thompson Craig Vroom

Participating in the Laws of Life 2027 Contest BBB, Central & SE Ohio’s Laws of Life Essay Contest is a competition of outstanding 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 2027 Laws of Life Essay Contest, please visit BBBLawsofLife.org or contact Keith Pickett Jr at kpickett@centralohio.bbb.org

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About BBB Better Business Bureau, Central & SE Ohio is a community-based resource, a trusted advisor, and a business partner championing trust, built locally.

BBB’s Center for Character Ethics recognizes emerging 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 at BBBCenterforCharacterEthics.org.

Sponsor A special thank you to our sponsor for supporting the contest:

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