Published: March 08, 2006 11:57 am      

Inspiring minds: 6 students place in AAUW's essay contest

When the local branch of the American Association of University Women set out to hold an essay contest, members’ biggest fear was that they would not get many submissions.

But the group received 177 entries representing 10 area schools. And the AAUW instead had the good problem of sifting through numerous strong essays to select six winners in two age categories.

“I was afraid we’d only get five or six people, with this being the first time,” said Kay Kusibab, vice president of the local AAUW. “We were very pleased.”

Kusibab worked with essay-contest committee members Ann Furlong and Karen Frieben to establish rules for essays, then contacted schools in and around Johnstown.

The AAUW asked students to write 500 words about “a woman who made a difference during the 20th century,” Kusibab said, with the winners appropriately being announced in March – national Women’s History Month.

In the end, the AAUW received 156 entries in the Grades 7-9 category, and 21 from writers in Grades 10-12.

Schools represented are Bishop McCort, Cathedral Catholic, Conemaugh Township Area, Forest Hills, Greater Johnstown, Our Mother of Sorrows, St. Andrew’s, St. Benedict’s, St. Patrick’s and West End Catholic.

“We expected them to write about Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks,” Kusibab said. “But some of the subjects they came up with were incredible. Someone wrote about Ruth Wakefield, who invented the chocolate-chip cookie. And you have to admit – that made a significant impact on the 20th century.”

Kusibab said the AAUW hoped participants would learn about researching a topic and improving their writing skills through the essay contest.

“A lot of the entries were very well written, and some not so well,” she said. “Hopefully, when they see the winners, it will help them for next year.”

The following are the winning essays:



First place, $100, Grades 10-12

Rosie the Riveter: The All-American Hero

By Rachel Chalich, daughter of Bernard and Rose Marie Chalich of East Conemaugh. She is a sophomore at Bishop McCort High School.



Uplifting a nation, winning a war, and starting a revolution are not everyday feats. Rosie the Riveter, however, achieved all of these things.

Born in the imaginations of artists, this icon moved an entire nation and affected later generations long after her campaign had ended.

In 1942, J. Howard Miller, an artist at Westinghouse, sketched a womanly figure with sleeves rolled up and a red polka dot bandanna adorning her head. This woman exuded strength and was aimed at enticing more females to the workplace.

About one year later, the United States’ famous illustrator, Norman Rockwell, had his own female defense worker illustration published on the cover of the 1943 Memorial Day issue of the Saturday Evening Post. This new depiction of a female worker was oversized, dirty and yet somehow feminine.

Rockwell’s picture bared a lunch box with the name “Rosie” written on it, and hence, Rosie the Riveter was born.

As tens of thousands of men went off to fight, the American work force dwindled. Government officials were looking for a way to supplement the decrease, and the Rosie the Riveter campaign helped them to do so.

Before the war, there were 12 million women workers in the country, but during the war, that number skyrocketed to 18 million, a 50 percent increase. The typical American woman worker came from one of three groups: Already-working women, women who had previously worked, but had lost their jobs during the Great Depression, and first-time workers.

The group that caused the most intrigue was the first-time workers. These new workers were often white, middle-class, married women, and the very idea of these women working was new and radical. The jobs these women performed varied greatly.

The most well-known workers toiled in defense industries, while some served in civic positions, like orchestra conductor, telephone operator or nurse. The common bond for these women with little expertise was their bravery to enter an unknown field and help the United States win a war.

It is speculated that without the help of the American women, the United States would not have been able to continue its military operations.

Long after the war ended, many women did not return to their pre-war lives, and the number of female workers never again dropped to pre-war numbers. With the experience of having a job came a newfound freedom and unlimited possibilities.

It became clear that a woman could run a household and hold down a job. The previous stereotypes of a typical married woman were broken. While some women did return to their previous routines, their daughters took notice of what they had been able to accomplish. Young girls looked at their future with a broader outlook, with a less questioning eye, and with a more objective notion of their future.

Rosie the Riveter, as an icon, showed women what they could be and do more. A new generation was born with Rosie the Riveter; this new generation questioned female stereotypes and overcame them. Thanks to Rosie the Riveter, women reached for the stars, instead of reaching for the laundry.



First place, $100, Grades 7-9

Ella Fitzgerald

By Peter Bernard, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Bernard of Windber. He is an eighth-grader at Forest Hills Middle School.



“A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket.”

That is a line from one of Ella Fitzgerald’s greatest hits. Fitzgerald, possibly the best African-American jazz singer of all time, deserves to be on the postage stamp for what she has done. She was a very influential woman in the 20th century who overcame the struggles of being a person of color, conquered being a female in a man’s world, and finally obtained the rights she deserved.

Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1918, in Newport News, Va., and almost immediately moved to Younkers, N.Y. Her father had left them, so it was just Ella and her mother. Her mother died 14 years later.

Now, she was a 14-year-old orphan who loved to sing and dance. Because of her love for singing and dancing, she entered a talent show. The judges, impressed by her act, awarded her first prize.

Bardu Ali of Chick Webb’s band noticed her talent and insisted on hiring her to sing with them. Two years later when Chick died, she took over the band. She was one of the first women of color leading an all-colored band.

Growing up a woman in this time was very hard; women did not have many rights. What she did, a woman of color leading a band, was extremely rare.

Back then, the men did everything; a woman’s job was to stay home, cook, clean and care for the family.

In 1941, she went solo and topped the charts with “Flyin’ Home” and “Lady be Good.” Great singers from all over the world recognized Fitzgerald. Even though she was a woman, she sang songs with all-time greats like Frank Sinatra, Louie Armstrong and Duke Ellington. The things she accomplished in that time, while being a woman, were just extraordinary.

Fitzgerald really did a lot with chart toppers and guest appearances. When people heard her singing, they did not care about her color or her gender; they just knew that she was amazing.

Her great voice earned her various awards. Fitzgerald won the National Medal of Art award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom award along with 13 Grammy Awards. She was finally getting the respect she deserved.

People loved her singing so much that she continued singing for 60 years. She said that the only way she would stop singing was if the people did not want to hear her sing. She only stopped singing shortly before she died on June 15, 1996.

Ella Fitzgerald was a very special and important woman. She did not just sing; she opened the door to all the other women who wanted to sing.

She showed us that anyone can make their dreams come true with no regard to race or gender. Ella Fitzgerald should be featured on the postage stamp because of what she accomplished.

She was not just a memorable woman in the 20th century; she was also a hero in the 20th century.



Second place, $50, Grades 10-12

The Planner and Planter of America

By Kayla Zeigler, daughter of Dave and Donna Zeigler of Johnstown. She is a sophomore at Bishop McCort High School.



Born of a well-to-do Texan family, Claudia Alta Taylor, known commonly as Lady Bird, grew up loving the environment.

As the wife and First Lady of Lyndon B. Johnson, she was involved in various foundations and received many awards.

Lady Bird is a woman who generously contributed to the nation through her volunteer efforts concerning diverse environmental and humanitarian programs.

Lady Bird Johnson created many programs regarding the environment, which she loved so much.

She started the First Ladies Committee for a More Beautiful Capital. Eventually, the whole nation fell in love with the program, and it quickly spread.

She is the founder and contributor to the National Wildlife Research Center, which is a nonprofit organization devoted to preserving and reintroducing native plants to planned landscapes.

Lady Bird also recruited her friends and family to plant thousands of daffodils and tulips in the nation’s capital. These flowers still greet visitors to the capital to this day.

The Highway Beautification Act of 1965 was a result of Lady Bird’s national campaign for beautification. This act sought to revamp the nation’s highway system by limiting the number of billboards and by planting roadside areas.

Lady Bird’s contributions to the environment showed the people of the nation that she truly cared about the declining state of the environment, and her efforts won them over.

Lady Bird Johnson not only dealt with environmental foundations but also with humanitarian ones as well.

She was deeply involved in her husband’s war-on-poverty, which gave young Americans of low-income families a chance to finish school and train for careers. She was also profoundly involved in the development of the Head Start program; it provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition and parent interaction to low-income children and their families.

Lady Bird Johnson’s achievements not only affected the impoverished of her generation, but forced a new awareness of the neglected lower classes.

Among Lady Bird Johnson’s many awards was the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Following her husband’s death in 1972, Lady Bird organized the effort to build a fund for Lyndon B. Johnson’s Presidential Library on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. She also became part of the management team for the library and the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Lady Bird is the author of “A White House Diary,” a record of her activities during the years her husband served as president of the United States. This book later became a best seller, and historians often refer to it more frequently than to former President Johnson’s memoirs.

Lady Bird will forever be remembered as a nature lover and humanitarian. Lady Bird Johnson’s humor, calm manner and graciousness helped her to fulfill her dreams of a more beautiful America.

She took ugly land and by planning, planting and pruning, she made it bloom.

In conclusion, Lady Bird is an important factor of the 20th century with her various efforts to help the nation.



Second place, $50, Grades 7-9

Mother Teresa

By Anthony Cascino, son of Chris and Karen Cascino of Richland Township. He is an eighth-grader at St. Benedict’s School.



The 1979 Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, for her tireless efforts toward world peace. She received many humanitarian awards, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize.

In 1972, the government of India presented her with the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. She was also given honorary United States citizenship in 1996.

Mother Teresa dedicated every day of her adult life to caring for the “poorest of the poor.” As she cared for the poor, onlookers saw her as “Jesus in disguise.”

In her early years as a nun, Mother Teresa served in a mission school in Calcutta, India. There she taught school and eventually became principal.

She was very much aware of the extreme poverty and suffering in Calcutta, which is one of the world’s most crowded cities. She asked her superiors for permission to leave the convent so she could dedicate all of her energy and time to working among the poor.

In 1950, in the slums of Calcutta, Mother Teresa began her religious order, the Society of the Missionaries of Charity.

Since then, that order has grown to more than 450 branches in 25 countries, including the United States.

For more than 45 years, Mother Teresa comforted and cared for the poor, the dying, the crippled, the mentally ill and the unwanted around the world. Her work knew no boundaries.

She helped the hungry of Ethiopia, the radiation victims of Chernobyl, and earthquake victims in Armenia. She was one of the first people to establish homes for AIDS victims.

Not only did Mother Teresa provide food and shelter to the poor, she cared for their wounds and made them feel loved and wanted. She felt that poverty had taken away their dignity.

When dealing with the poor and dying, Mother Teresa always wore a warm, cheerful smile because she felt it was important to show her love when caring for them.

Mother Teresa was a great humanitarian. She made a great impact on the world, not only by donating billions of dollars, but by giving love. Her philosophy can be summarized in her own words. She said, “It is not how much we do, but how much we put into doing it. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.”

Mother Teresa spoke out on the value of strong family life and the horror of abortion. She has been known to plead, “Please don’t kill the child. I want the child. Give me the child.”

Catholics often used Mother Teresa as a symbol of the traditional religious values that seem to be lacking in the churches of today.

As a result of Mother Teresa’s dedication to helping the poor, her religious order has come to operate children’s homes, medical stations and havens for the dying and lepers around the world.

Mother Teresa was a great, tireless humanitarian who raised awareness among the people of the problems of society which continue to exist today.



Third place, $25, Grades 10-12

Wilma Rudolph: A runner, an inspiration

By Becka Boxler, daughter of James and Carolyn Boxler of Geistown Borough. She is a sophomore at Bishop McCort High School.



Wilma Rudolph inspired many people through her success and excellence in sports, despite having polio as a child.

As an African-American woman and the 20th child of 22 children, Rudolph grew up in a poor family, however, her family was full of love and care for one another. Although Rudolph went through many struggles, she excelled in sports and touched many lives throughout her lifetime.

At the age of 4, Rudolph contracted polio. To make matters worse, her family could not afford good medical care. Doctors told her mother, Blanche Rudolph, that Rudolph would never walk again.

Blanche Rudolph, however, was determined to see her daughter walk again, so she drove her 50 miles away to therapy twice a week for two years.

At age 8, Rudolph could walk with a leg brace. Later high-topped shoes supported her feet. Three years later, Rudolph no longer needed the brace or the shoes.

Rudolph joined the school basketball team in junior high but never played until her sophomore year, when she became the starting guard. Rudolph led her team to a state championship and also set state records for scoring.

During a state basketball tournament, the coach for the women’s track team, Ed Temple, spotted Rudolph and invited her to Tennessee State for a summer sports camp.

Rudolph qualified for the 1956 Olympics where she won a bronze medal for the women’s 400-meter relay. Then in 1960, Rudolph qualified for the Olympic Games by setting a world record for the 200-meter race. She won gold medals in the 100-meter race and in the 200-meter race.

She sprained her ankle, but fought through the pain and won another gold medal for the 400-meter relay. Rudolph became the first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals.

Rudolph insisted that her homecoming parade in Clarksville, Tenn., was to be open to all. The victory parade was the first racially mixed event ever held in Clarksville. That night her banquet was also the first event where blacks and whites gathered together.

At age 22, Rudolph retired from running, but returned to Clarksville to teach at her old school. She became the track coach and later held many other coaching positions.

In addition, she became a sports commentator on national television and a co-host of a network radio show.

In 1967, she started the Wilma Rudolph Foundation that helped children learn about discipline and hard work. This nonprofit organization provided not only free coaching but also academic assistance and support.

Although Wilma Rudolph overcame many obstacles and illnesses in her lifetime, she encountered one she could not overcome. At the age of 54, Wilma Rudolph died of brain cancer.

Throughout Rudolph’s lifetime, she touched many lives, inspired many people, overcame huge obstacles and lived her life to the fullest. Rudolph knew the meaning of hard work and dedication and excelled because of it.

Wilma Rudolph will always be remembered for her accomplishments, self-discipline and determination.



Third place, $25, Grades 7-9

Jacqueline Kennedy

By Allison Kakabar, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Kakabar of Sidman. She is an eighth-grader at Forest Hills Middle School.



“I have been through a lot and have suffered a great deal. But I have had lots of happy moments, as well. Every moment one lives is different from the other. The good, the bad, hardship, the joy, the tragedy, love and happiness are all interwoven into one single, indescribable whole that is called life. You cannot separate the good from the bad. And perhaps there is no need to do so, either.”

That was said by Jackie Kennedy at the time when she was a role model for all American housewives and mothers. She was young and still learning how to raise her family, which made it easy for Americans to relate to her.

Although she came from a wealthy family, she was very much for the poor and middle class. Her respect for history, love for her family, and courage in a time of tragedy made her beloved around the world, and more than worthy to be on a postage stamp.

Jackie has done a number a notable things, but I feel some of the most important were accomplished because of her knowledge of history.

Her first major project as First Lady was to reserve and preserve the White House.

Mrs. Kennedy believed it should be a place full of American history, culture and achievement. She hired the best of the best to help. She obtained the finest art and furniture, many of which included items belonging to former presidents and their families. She was given an Emmy for her hard work.

Jackie also stopped the destruction of Lafayette Square and saved and renovated Grand Central Station. These achievements, as stated above, are very notable and make her deserving of respect.

The most important achievement of Jackie’s was raising her family. Although having children had a rocky start (she had a miscarriage and a stillborn daughter), she gave birth to two healthy children, Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr.

She once stated, “If you mess up your children, nothing else you do really matters,” and she swore by that.

Even though they were living in the White House, she made sure her children had a real home. She put in a kindergarten school for Caroline and 12-15 other children inside the White House. She also put in a swimming pool, swing set and a tree house. Her devotion to her children is yet another reason why she was so respected at the time.

In August 1963, Jackie’s world started to fall apart. She gave birth to her second son, Patrick, on the seventh; but due to a serious lung ailment, he died two days later. She and her husband were devastated; and as they mourned, they became closer. Then, as the sun was starting to come out from behind the clouds again, John F. Kennedy was shot and killed on Nov. 22.

Millions mourned with her and admired her for her courage and dignity while dealing with her loss. In a few months, she and her children moved from Washington to New York because the memories were too hard to bear.

Jackie had become very close to her brother-in-law, and his death five years later also had an impact on her.

“I hate this country, I don’t want my children living here anymore. If they are killing Kennedys, my kids are No. 1 targets,” she told a friend. But really, who could blame her for saying that after all that happened?

Most people think that if you have money, it stops all your troubles; but that is not true.

Jackie, as stated earlier, came from money; and she still had just as many, if not more, hard times in her life that anyone else.

Not many people can lose three children, two husbands, and have a four-month fight with cancer and still be one of the most respected, classiest women America has ever known. That is why Jacqueline Kennedy deserves to be on a postage stamp.