|
WCS finalists (l-r: Alan Pearson, Lindsey Calder and Clayton Kline)
with Mrs. Ellis at reception at Minute Maid Park. |
WCS Students Define Success (April, 2006 ) WCS students have been a competitive presence in the Houston Coca-Cola Share the Dream Essay Contest for the last four years. This year, students were asked to write an essay of no more than 500 words defining their understanding of “success.” Over 2,500 entries were submitted, and 23 finalists were selected. Mrs. Pam Ellis, WCS English teacher, was thrilled to find out that three of the 23 finalists were Westbury Christian High School students – Alan Pearson (junior) who resides in Pearland and Lindsay Calder (senior) and Clayton Kline (sophomore) who both reside in Bellaire – and they were all her students!
According to Mrs. Pam Ellis, WCS English teacher, the essay writing process was typical. Classes brainstormed the topic, presented ideas, and talked about unique angles. Then, each student turned in a rough draft. The rough drafts were read and corrected and given back to the students. The students then turned in a final copy which was sent off to the Houston Coca-Cola Essay Contest organizers. Mrs. Ellis said that the WCS winners’ papers were “very thought-provoking, well-written and, in one case, entertaining. Of course, it makes me feel really good – you feel like you’re doing something right.”
At a recent awards reception held at the Minute Maid Park, Tim Lynch of the Houston Coca-Cola Bottling Company presented each finalist with a framed award certificate, a $500 college scholarship, a $50 Kroger gift card and four tickets to the Astros games. According to Janice Pearson, mother of WCS junior Alan Pearson, “The organizers of the reception really made the 23 finalists feel special. I am very proud of Alan and his accomplishments.”
Alan Pearson defined success in his essay as, “Success for me does not involve completing high school, getting through college, or getting a job. That’s not to say I won’t try to attain these things… Success in my life is something else entirely; it is never being content, never being satisfied with where I am in my relationships with my family, my friends, and especially my God.”
Lindsey Calder’s essay defined success as, “My goal is to be true to myself, not hopelessly chasing other individuals’ definitions of accomplishment, but serving others and taking care of myself with integrity, perseverance, and a never-ending desire for self-improvement.”
Westbury Christian School is a private, non-profit, culturally
diverse school offering unique educational opportunities
for K3 through 12th grade students.
The school is located at 10420 Hillcroft at Willowbend.
For more information, call Ann Arnold in the Admissions
Office at 713-551-8100.
See all Stories
|
