Irish cultural society awards Sewanhaka students for essays

The Irish Cultural Society of the Garden City Area honored six students from Sewanhaka High School at the Public Library on May 6.

The students, who are enrolled in Ms. Papaccio and Ms. Leighton’s English classes, were asked to write an essay that analyzed a speech delivered by former President of Ireland Eamon de Valera in 1943. In all, 484 entries competed for the society’s 39 prizes.

Congratulations to sophomore second place winner Jerry Vollel; third place winners Tyler Hernandez and Merlyn John; and Daman Kaur and Janielle Stanford, who received honorable mentions. The Irish Cultural Society also donated a book about Asenath Nicholson, a reformer who wrote about the Great Irish Famine to Sewanhaka High School.