Nine VASJ students win awards in annual LifeWorks Ohio Art & Essay Contest

VASJ Winners of the LifeWorks Ohio Art & Essay Contest Row 1: Allison Insana, Ellen Cvelbar and Jonelle Evans (all Seniors) Row 2: Jodie Di Donato, Rita Hidalgo and Bobby Vollman (all Seniors) Not pictured: Jeremiah Bates, Liz McDonnell and Sarah Rodgers

Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School is excited to recognize the achievements of nine current students who were recently announced as winners in the LifeWorks Ohio Art & Essay Contest.

Each year students from VASJ submit essays and artwork to be entered into the LifeWorks Ohio Art & Essay Contest, a program which encourages grade school and high school students to express their commitment to life through writing and art. Using the following Bible verse, students were asked to express their belief on the sanctity of human life, giving special consideration to the unborn, elderly and disabled:

"In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me,” Matthew 25:40.

Winning in the essay portion of the contest are Seniors Bobby Vollman, first place, Sarah Rodgers, honorable mention, and Rita Hidalgo, third place and Sophomore Jeremiah Bates, third place.

The winners from the art category are Seniors Jodie Di Donato, first place, Liz McDonnell, honorable mention, Allison Insana, honorable mention, Jonelle Evans, second place and Ellen Cvelbar, third place.

As a first place winner of the essay contest, VASJ senior Bobby Vollman is invited to read his essay at the LifeWorks Ohio Art & Essay Contest awards ceremony being held on Sunday, April 3, 2011, where all the winners will receive a ribbon, certificate and monetary award.

The essay was easy for Vollman to write as he focused on his personal experience of taking care of his great-grandmother while she was ill and in hospice, ultimately leading him to become a volunteer there. This summer will mark three years that Vollman has been volunteering at the hospice, an experience he finds very rewarding.

When asked what he plans to do with the monetary award he will receive, Vollman’s response was not what you would expect from a high school senior. “I don’t want to keep it. I want to donate it. It seems like something special that should be given to someone else,” Vollman explained. As for where he plans to donate the money, Vollman is still trying to decide. He has narrowed it down to three worthy causes and will be making his decision soon.