Student Essay & Video Contest
Speak Out, Do the Right Thing & Make a Difference!
Let your Voice Be Heard
More than 700 entries from 32 states were received. Winning essays came from students in Michigan, Texas and Oklahoma. The winners received cash prizes and were recognized at the Oklahoma Judicial Center on December 11, 2012. Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Taylor spoke to the winners about the importance of speaking out against violence and his experience of being the presiding judge in the Terry Nichols trial. Amy Downs, Chief Operations Officer and Senior Vice President of Lending at Allegiance Credit Union, formerly Federal Employees Credit Union, shared her experience of being a survivor of the bombing.
This year, in addition to our annual essay contest, we introduced a video contest. Because we did not receive enough entries to constitute a legitimate competition, the video contest will be considered null and no winners will be determined.
Initiated in 2002, the annual Essay Contest has become a cornerstone of the Memorial's educational programs. In 2005, the Essay Contest expanded from a state contest to a national one, allowing more students to use this contest as a vehicle for sharing their rich perspective and engaging in the lessons of the Memorial.
The April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City occurred because one person chose violence as a means to express disagreement and effect change, while others chose to remain silent – and 168 innocent people were killed. The quotations selected for the 2012 Student Essay Contest were from people with a personal connection to the bombing, and highlight the importance of speaking out against violence and doing the right thing in order to make a difference.
2012 Student Essay Contest Winners
| 5th & 6th | (click names to see winning essays) | ||
| First Place | Marshall Clune | 6th | Sequoyah Middle School Edmond, OK |
| Second Place | Faith Fang | 6th | Cheyenne Middle School Edmond, OK |
| Third Place | Kaelyn Hild | 6th | Cheyenne Middle School Edmond, OK |
| 7th & 8th | |||
| First Place | Tiffany Aguilar | 8th | Owasso 8th Grade Center Owasso, OK |
| Second Place | Ezri Roberts | 7th | Sequoyah Middle School Edmond, OK |
| Third Place | Jack Curran | 7th | Sequoyah Middle School Edmond, OK |
| 9th & 10th | |||
| First Place | Faythe Snapp | 10th | Valliant High School Valliant, OK |
| Second Place | Ben Chance | 10th | Home School Wichita Falls, TX |
| Third Place | Brooklyn Bain | 10th | Valliant High School Valliant, OK |
| 11th & 12th | |||
| First Place | Kate Diehl | 12th | Farmington High School Farmington, MI |
| Second Place | Arlette Rojano | 12th | Dove Science Academy Oklahoma City, OK |
| Third Place | Sabrina Garner | 12th | Duncan High School Duncan, OK |
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Amy Downs, Survivor and Chief Operations Officer and Senior Vice President of Lending |
Allegiance is proud to sponsor
the essay & video contest again this year. It means so much to see these young
people learning from what happened to us in Oklahoma City on April 19,
1995. We were impressed by the perspective that these young people have
and the lessons they have already learned in their own lives.
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