Tanvi Palavalas, a student at Maggie Walker High School, and Augustus Rezba-Patel, a student at Albert Hill Middle School, are winners of Virginia’s Fourth District 2nd Annual Black History Month Essay Contest.
The competition aims to increase education and awareness of prominent figures in Black history. Students wrote essays about the namesakes of Fort Gregg-Adams in Virginia’s Fourth District. High schoolers focused on the legacy of Gen. Arthur J. Gregg, the first Black Army officer to reach the rank of lieutenant general, and middle schoolers focused on Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the highest-ranking Black woman in the army by the completion of World War II.
“As Black History Month comes to a close, I was touched to read these essays, honoring fearless Black leaders who brought diverse voices to our nation’s military and had a connection to. Congratulations to the essay contest winners, and thank you to all the middle and high school students who participated for the depth and thoughtfulness of each of your submissions. I continue to be deeply impressed by the passion and determination of the next generation, especially by Tanvi and Augustus and their outstanding essays. Keep up the awesome work,” Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who represents Virginia’s Fourth District, said.
Other winners include:
Second Place: Shatique Willis from Thomas Dale High School and Julia Jones from Albert Hall Middle School
Third Place: Chris Qian from Maggie Walker High School and Ari Mallory from Brookland Middle School
Winning essays will be entered into the Congressional Record.
Related stories:
McClellan announces winners of inaugural Black History Month essay contest
Black History Month Essay Contest open for middle, high school students
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Rebecca Barnabi
