b'NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE, continued2021 State Essay Contest WinnersGEORGIA STATE COUNCIL ESSAY CHAIRMAN DICK HAYDEN, FDD12th Grade Winner Gillian Stoltz Council 8376 District 11I was born a cradle Catholic. The term, meaning a child born. baptized, and raised within the Church has always been a strug-gle for me to comprehend as it implies faithful perfection, which seems hopelessly unattainable. My childhood Sundays were spent in dresses and ballet flats. Often rushing to make it to Mass on time. After the service finished, religious education classes followed. l The judges have spoken.and have determined the firstfelt I had better things to do at age eight than color Moses and and second place winners in the 2020-2021 Catholic Youthwatch animations of Noahs Ark. Transitioning to the middle school Essay Contest. The five first place winning essays were sentprogram forced me to be awake before eight a.m. (a time no middle schooler would be up at willingly) and sit in a room Where no one on to Supreme for the International competition.spoke, because no one wanted to be there. It was torture for an The guidelines given were: In an essay of 500-750 words,outgoing thirteen-year-old to not only have nothing to say but to discuss how trusting in God during a difficult time has helpedalso be surrounded by silence.you or someone you know find the strength and hope to en- I wondered why I was forced to go through this. Sunday school dure it. Consider especially those times when it was a chal- was miserable, Mass a tiring burden. I wondered why people en-lenge to understand why something was happening. Con- joyed spending every Sunday hearing a couple of tunes, listening sider also sharing any lessons about faith and hope you orto stories, and hearing an older man in a fancy robe talk, while I fell someone you know may have learned from this experience. asleep on my fathers shoulder. I kept these feelings in knowing On the following pages are copies of the winning essays.only conflict would ensue if my parents knew they had raised a Eight grade winner Oliver Crowson is a runner up in the Inter- questioning halfway-agnostic child in their Catholic household. My national Competion. Oliver is 13 years old and a student atfamily was considered a perfect model in the church community, a St. Joseph Catholic School in Marietta. St. Joseph Catholicbalance able to be easily tipped by my disavowal.School has now won the state contest eighth grade categoryTo my disgust. my mother signed me up for a retreat for eighth for eight straight years.Being a Runner Up in the internation- graders. I knew the names of two people in my Sunday school al review is a first! See Olivers story on page 91. class, and thus I rationally concluded I would never be able to sur-vive in this unknown environment.I cried as I packed warm socks and the rosary I got for my First Communion. My mother said she THE WINNERS ARE: knew woman whose daughter and friend were attending. I com-plained the entire ride to church. My mother scolded me to look 8th Grade:pleasant for both of our sakes.First Place: .Oliver Crowson (Council 4599 - DD12)Long story made short; I had the best weekend of my life thus Second Place: Josh Yimtatu (Council 7923 - DD21) far. The two girls, Maddie and Kathleen, became two of my clos-est friends. We would sit together at every meal and session, and 9th Grade: by the final day we were practically inseparable. I discovered my First Place:Andrew Michael Cross (Council 8495-DD24) love for worship music. During adoration, where we are given the opportunity to venerate the Body of Christ. l walked up to one of Second Place: .Michael Soule (Council 8376-DD11) the adult leaders. Jose and asked if he would pray over me and my wavering faith. As he spoke, my eyes flooded as if I hadnt cried in 10th Grade: years. It was then I realized that there was a God. He was looking First Place: .Lidia Longo (Council 9923 - DD15) out for me in the midst of my questioning and above all, I was loved Second Place: Taylor Vigna (Council 8495-DD24) and would be okay.Since that fateful weekend I have not once questioned my faith or my trust in God to find my path. I now realize that my parents were 11th Grade: trusting in God to give me direction, and trusting in our church to First Place: Shane Longtin (Council 9923 - DD15) create spaces and opportunities where I could connect with Him. I Second Place: Eric Samaniego (Council 11458-DD19) am now in the high school program, which has become a sustain-ing rock in my life, keeping me rooted in my faith and grounded 12th Grade: in my friendships. I look forward to Sunday evenings at mass and Wednesday night Bible Study. I applied and was accepted as a Life First Place: . Gillian Stoltz (Council 8376 - DD11) Teen student youth leader, I sing in the teen worship band. and in Second Place: Lexie-Anne Rodkey (Council 12826-DD15) my free time I draw calligraphic bible verses in my journal I sit with Maddie and Kathleen at mass every week, and our trio has grown First Place certificates and $50 gift cards, and Secondinto a much larger, yet still tight-knit group of guys and girls who Place certificates and $25 gift cards, were mailed last week,remain my closest friends. This was His plan all along and I have via either UPS or USPS, to the above six District Deputies. teamed to trust in His plan.87'