Memorial middle school student’s essay earns prize

MARLBORO — Marlboro Memorial Middle School eighth-grader Caryn Cueto was awarded first prize in the 2005 Hispanic Heritage Art and Essay Contest, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund and The New York Times Knowledge Network.

According to a press release from the Marlboro K-8 school district, students were asked to research a person of Hispanic descent who made a significant contribution to the community or to their own lives, then create a portrait of this individual and write a brief description of him or her and why they chose this person. Caryn’s prize will include $2,250 in U.S. savings bonds.

Caryn’s winning entry depicted her father, Andres Cueto, in collage form, including documents pertaining to his time spent in the military during the Vietnam era. Her essay reflected on her father as a role model, and the importance of making honorable judgments in difficult situations. Caryn’s ambition is to be a journalist.

Caryn and her family were honored, together with winners of second, third and honorable mention prizes, at an awards dinner and presentation on Nov. 7 in New York City at The New York Times. In addition to Caryn and her family, Marlboro Memorial Middle School Principal Joanmarie Penney and art teacher Gail Sanderson attended the awards dinner.

The contest was open to students in grades four through eight in the New York metropolitan area whose teachers participated in “Hispanic Literature and Storytelling,” a program for students in grades four through 12 hosted by The New York Times Knowledge Network, using newspapers — The New York Times and El Diario/LaPrensa — and supplementary resources. The program, and the Hispanic Heritage Art and Essay Contest, did not involve the reporting or editing staff of The New York Times.

According to the press release, Caryn’s artwork is automatically entered in the first National Art Competition of the Ford Hispanic Heritage Program. Her artwork will compete with those of student winners in 12 other cities across the country.

The competition will be held in Detroit on Nov. 29. Caryn and a parent have been invited to Detroit for the competition on Nov. 29, with travel and hotel courtesy of Ford Motor Co.