Finalist in Robinson Contest
An essay on integrity and peer pressure by a John M. Marshall Elementary School fifth grader has earned her a place in the top 20 finalists in her age category at the nationwide Breaking Barriers in Sports, in Life essay contest.
Lola Garneau was one of 11,000 fourth through ninth graders who submitted their work to the annual contest, which is sponsored by Jackie Robinson’s daughter, Sharon Robinson, and Scholastic Books.
The personal essay assignment was the culmination of Erin Abran’s and Jessica Sinacori’s fifth-graders’ study of the biography “Promises To Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America,” written by Ms. Robinson about her father, the American sports icon who broke the color barrier in baseball.
The contest asked students to write about a barrier they have faced and how they were able to overcome it using one of Mr. Robinson’s nine values: courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence.
According to the teachers, Lola’s essay focused on the sports legend’s famous words, “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me . . . all I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” The young writer used the theme to illustrate how she was able to navigate her way through peer pressure while maintaining her integrity, staying true to herself, and being loyal to all of her friends.
In her essay, Lola wrote, “I think that as you get older you face more drama, and friends start to separate. You start losing that ‘everyone is friends with each other’ vibe. I have noticed how things come and go out of style, like songs and clothes. Even friendships change at some point in every person’s life: They can get old too. I started going through that. I stayed true to myself and that is how I used integrity. I know it will follow me through middle school and high school as life gets more complicated. It will stop me at some point again along with the drama, but I will face it head- on with integrity.”
“Knowing this is a common barrier for kids in school, many students and teachers shared the positive impact that hearing her essay had on them,” Ms. Abran said.
Lola received a letter from Ms. Robinson, a certificate, and a pair of batting gloves.
In her letter, Ms. Robinson wrote, “I’m honored that my father’s values have continued to help young people understand how and why they have been able to overcome difficult situations in their lives.”