Lifting Up Westchester Announces 2023 Student Essay Contest Winners 

Lifting Up Westchester, a non-profit agency committed to helping individuals experiencing homelessness and hunger achieve self-sufficiency, announces the winners of their sixth annual student essay contest. Open to all students attending school in Westchester in the 7^th to 12^th grades, this year students were invited to think about the connections between, and misperceptions about, mental health and homelessness and how we might end the stigmas attached to both.

The essay contest was established in 2017 in memory of Beth Massey Rubens, a 40-year resident of Scarsdale and a lifelong teacher, tutor, and mentor who had a love for language arts.

Students were asked to consider that mental health impacts how we think, feel and act and how we cope with life. Mental health also influences how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Family illness, job loss, divorce, not doing well in school, being bullied, hunger, poor housing and becoming unhoused are just some of the things that can trigger mental health issues.  This can result in emotions such as anxiety, depression, or loneliness.  “With a nationally increased focus on the importance of mental health, this year’s topic clearly struck a chord for students,” said Anahaita Kotval, CEO of Lifting Up Westchester. “Students shared deeply personal stories about their own challenges with mental health. But as they researched the underlying causes of homelessness, they learned that mental health issues are not the primary cause of individuals becoming homeless. With this knowledge, many of them suggested ways to help end the stigmas attached to both mental health and homelessness so that we can all work toward a better future for everyone.”

A panel of 49 judges reviewed the essays to select the ultimate winners. First, second and third place and honorable mention cash prizes will be awarded in each of the three grade groups: 7^th and 8^th grades, 9^th and 10^th grades, and 11^th and 12^th grades.  An ESL category was also established for any student from grades 7 through 12 for whom English is a second language.

Winners for the 2023 Lifting Up Westchester Student Essay Contest include

7^th and 8^th Grade

1^st Place:                     Laura Leshaj, Eastchester Middle School

2^nd Place:                     Cadence Kappel, Pelham Middle School

3^rd Place (tie):              Jacob Souza, Irvington Middle School

3^rd Place (tie):              Kate Bevan, North Salem Middle/High School

Honorable Mention:   Ezra Shuf, Highlands Middle School

Honorable Mention:   Emily Kasoff, Irvington Middle School

Honorable Mention:   Rafe Goodyear, Pelham Middle School

9^th and 10^th Grade

1^st Place:                  Le Wang, Edgemont Senior High School

2^nd Place:                Isabella Vembenil, The Ursuline School

3^rd Place:                 Haley Berger, Briarcliff High School

11^th and 12^th Grade

1^st Place (tie):               Agnesa Rraci, Woodlands High School

1^st Place (tie):               Kristen Luther, Woodlands High School

2^nd Place:                      Honesty Woods, Peekskill High School

3^rd Place (tie):              Natasha Pereira, Scarsdale High School

3^rd Place (tie):               Stacy Di Maulo, Alexander Hamilton High School

Honorable Mention:    Lamyaa Hamid, Peekskill High School

ESL

1^st Place:                  Risa Goji, Keio Academy

2^nd Place (tie):        Rena Maruyama, Keio Academy

2^nd Place (tie):        Rika Ishii, Keio Academy