New Hyde Park Sixth Graders Among Honored for Thanksgiving Essay

Sixth-grade students around the Seventh District showed what they were thankful for in their lives through the written word for a Thanksgiving Essay Contest, sponsored by Sen. Jack Martins.

asked each sixth-grade student to write a 250-300 word essay on what he or she is most thankful for, and a week before Thanksgiving, Sen. Martins honored each of the winners and presented them with a Certificate of Achievement during a reception at the Shelter Rock Elementary School.

Of the over 300 entries, 22 essays were chosen. Winners from New Hyde Park included Danielle Torrisi from the , Sara Choi from Herricks Middle School and Ajay Sharma from (who was not present during the recognition ceremony).

Torrisi wrote about how thankful she is for the time she was able to spend with her “Pa” (grandpa) and the last time she saw him before he passed away in January of 2008.

She wrote, “When I saw my Pa I knew that he was happy I was there. He was at his best that day. That’s what my mom tells me… I mean sure it would be fabulous to him to still be here, but it would be selfish to keep him here. If he was in pain here, I would rather him be in no pain in a better place…I know that he is watching over me right now. It breaks my heart that he is gone, but I don’t love him any less.”

Sara Choi wrote how thankful she is for being brought into a wonderful life by her parents.

“My parents worked hard to give me a good future even before my mother brought me into this world,” Choi wrote. “From the minute I was born, my parents ensured that I didn’t just have comfortable surroundings to grow up in, but also all the love and support a child could ask for…I have the most important thing anyone could ask for: a family that loves me. There’s nothing else I’d rather have.”

Lastly, Sharma, who wasn’t in attendance, wrote about how he’s thankful for the special bond he shares with his parents.

“My parents have taught me everything I know today. There have been times in my life when I thought certain things were impossible to achieve, but  my parents taught me that nothing in this world is impossible,” he wrote, like the time his parents taught him to ride a bike. “My parents have also taught me to be kind to others and to always respect others…My parents have made me a strong and intelligent individual who loves life…Thank you to my parents who for making me a successful individual who will always be ready to face anything life brings.”   

Sen. Martins was impressed with the students’ writing and was quoted in a recent press release saying, “Our children have an amazing capacity for understanding our world. They have an extraordinary ability for empathy and compassion beyond their years,” said Sen. Martins about the winners in a recent press release. “I was so impressed by their [ability] to boil the holiday down to what really matters.”