2018 Essay Writing Contest
As a community outreach project,
Volce for Life first undertook an Essay Writing Contest in 2018.
Volce for Life first undertook an Essay Writing Contest in 2018.
The contest was open to everyone. There were three age group categories:
Interested entrants were requested to draft a short story on the subject:
“I love my family because ….. “ It was to be original material related to the writer's own life experiences.
The authors of the 1st and 2nd place essays in each category received cash prizes. As indicated in the entry instructions, the winning essays are published below:
12 and under Winner
Why I Love my Family
By Annika G. Stoter, 11, of Guelph
Why I love my family? They are playful, yet understanding, they accept me for who I am. They are friendly toward my friends and reach out towards strangers. My parents and siblings love me and I love them. I love my family.
My family is playful and understanding. We love to play baseball as a family or take a walk around our property. We love to watch movies and eat popcorn and laugh at the silly and stubborn actions of Maui in Moana or cry with Buster Moon as he watches his prized theatre come crashing over his ears in Sing. My family is understanding of my hobbies, and sacrifice their time for my activities. Or if one of my friends is moving away, my family knows how to comfort me. My family accepts me for what I like or dislike. I do not always agree with my family. They like movies, but sometimes I prefer to read my book. This makes it difficult to agree on a movie that I don’t think is scary. However, my family knows this and they accept me for my likes. My parents and siblings are fun and sensitive towards my feelings and they love me for who I am.
My parents and brothers and sisters are friendly toward my friends. They share our home whether it’s for 1 night or just a couple hours. In short, my family treats my friends like a second family. For me, my friends are also like family and I agree with Jess C. Scott when she said “Friends are the family we choose.” My friends get along with my family and I love them for the acceptance they show to all my friends and how welcoming they are.
My parents also reach out to strangers and help them. For example, one time we were driving home from school when we saw an old man on the side of the road in a blue truck. My mom got out and talked to the man. We were still in the van, but a couple minutes later my mom jumped the van and we went home, picked up a couple batches of cinnamon rolls and returned to the man and gave him all of what she had brought. We only saw the man once more, but I never forgot that day. My family is welcoming to anyone we meet.
My family loves me and I love them. They are amazing and when I look at the definition of ‘family’ I think of so much more than just ‘people I live with’ or ‘a descendant’. I think of people who actually care for me. My extended family also is awesome. A couple of years ago my Beppe (grandma) passed away. My whole family grieved. My other side of the family was just as caring. They surrounded us with love and they accepted that we were sad and we weren’t that fun to be around. My family is the best! Maybe a lot of people say this, but I wouldn’t change family’s for the world! (Even if it meant that I would get my own iPad). My family is awesome and we show affection for each other 20/7! (I did say 20 on purpose. Every family gets in fights… right?) My family also reminded me that family was important right from the beginning of the world. God brought a man and woman together to form the first family ever! That is how much family means.
This is just another reason why I love them: They focus on the important stuff! My family is awesome in a way that not a lot of families are. I have an adopted brother. Last year my family welcomed my baby brother, Asher Yi Hong Stoter into our arms. Asher was adopted from China. A lot of boys and girls are abandoned on the streets because of a handicap or a disease because the parents can’t care for the child and are shamed because handicap is considered unlucky. Not my family though! I can’t imagine life without Asher. I love my family!
As you can see, I love my family and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world! This is why I love them.
13 to 21 year old 1st Place Winner
I Love my Family Because....
By Hanna Deklerk, 15, of Jarvis
I love my family because they’ve given me the basic necessities of life and so much more. I love my family because they are always there for me. Over the years I have had several surgeries. When I had my first surgery, my family visited me and got me plenty of things to keep me cheered up. I love my parents because they have stable jobs that are able to pay for my various medical needs.
I love my sister because I have fun with her and she makes me laugh. I love my brother because he is outgoing.
I love my auntie Jen because she is always there for me. She’s able to talk with me about anything, even though she lives on the other side of the country. She guides me through life. Even through my teen years, they are supportive of me and help me through the struggles of being a teen.
I love my family because we are able to go on fun family vacations to various places. We’ve gone on lots of adventures, both good and bad.
I also love my family because they are supportive of most of my decisions.
My 2 best friends, Katelyn and Jocelyn, are like family to me. I believe that some friends are like family and everyone needs best friends like that. They make me laugh and help me through the hard times when I am down. They are literally the best friends I could ever ask for.
Jasmine is me and my sister’s friend. Again, She is like a sister to me. She is hilarious and is always there for me.
A bunch of my family lives out in BC. I still remember the fun times we’ve had when they come to Ontario. We built forts and me, my sister, and cousin would put on a little homemade skit.
I love my grandparents because they spoil me and always want to do things. I’ll be honest, sometimes I do take them for granted but writing this essay has made me appreciate them more.
In March 2017, my family and 3 of my dad’s 4 brothers went to Florida. It was one of the most fun things we have done as family. (That I can remember anyway.) We went exploring, and swimming (a lot) and us girls had the “super Target trip.” Me, my sister, cousin, and 2 aunts went to super Target but ended up being there for 3 hours. We had a can of pringles for supper. We went all around the store laughing and talking. When we were done we just wanted to get back to our rental house, but decided to drive through the Chick-Fil-A restaurant drive-through for an actual supper. But they had a lineup all around the building! It was a memory building and hilarious adventure.
In Conclusion, I honestly don’t know what I’d do without all these people in my life. They’re always there for me and always will be. I thank God for each of them!