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API Heritage Month Essay Contest

Contest Description

May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Each year, Northern Marianas students are invited to share their stories in the Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Essay Contest hosted by the Northern Mariana Islands congressional district office.

This contest is an opportunity for students to showcase their writing skills and reflect on their unique experiences living in the Northern Mariana Islands, while celebrating and acknowledging the diversity in our district.

Contest Guidelines:

  • The essay competition is free and open to all middle and high school students residing in the Northern Mariana Islands.
  • Students must write an original essay in response to a prompt:
  • Middle school students should submit an essay 300-500 words in length. High school students should submit an essay 500-750 words in length.
  • Students should submit their essays using this form no later than 5PM on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.

Submissions will be judged based on focus and relevance to topic, organization, originality and strength of ideas, use of evidence and/or reasoning, command of grammar, and voice.  A panel of local judges will select the winning entry.

The winning entries per middle school and high school division will have their essays entered into the Congressional Record. Congressman Sablan will present winners with a framed copy of their essay as reflected on the Congressional Record.

2022 Contest Winners:

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2022 winner

Middle School:
Mikaehla Paige Reyes Mendoza
Mount Carmel School, 8th Grade
Essay: "The Problem With Linguistic Racism"

High School:
Aleia Hofschneider Santos
Mount Carmel School, Senior
Essay: "Color"

2021 Contest Winners:

Image
2021 winner

Middle School:
Jia Ross Nicdao
Hopwood Middle School, 8th Grade
Essay: "My Experience as Asian American in the Northern Mariana Islands"

High School:
Camille Torres Hocog
Marianas High School, Sophomore
Essay: "Diversity and Unity"

Questions?

If you have any questions about the contest or the prompt, please e-mail your congressional office at Kilili@mail.house.gov or call the district offices at (670) 323-2647 on Saipan, (670) 433-2647 on Tinian, or (670) 532-2647 on Rota.