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GMS student Luna Pope named Wiatt Essay winner
The Putnam County Community Foundation recently announced Luna Pope as the grand prize winner of the 2022 Darrell Wiatt Family Philanthropy Essay Contest.
Pope is a seventh-grade student in Melissa Knipp’s class at Greencastle Middle School.
In recognition of Pope’s accomplishment, Castlemakers, the charity of her choice, received a $150 grant. Additionally, Greencastle Middle School received a $500 grant.
Her essay highlighted the philanthropic work of her mother, Jeanette Pope.
The contest was established in 2006 by Wiatt, an active community member and former educator at North Putnam Schools.
Through the program, the Foundation aims to recognize some of the everyday philanthropists in Putnam County, and ensure that no child will graduate from high school without knowing the meaning of the word “philanthropy.”
Entries were accepted from seventh-grade students throughout the county. Students were instructed to write a 500-word essay about “The Philanthropist I Know Personally and Admire the Most.” The essays were reviewed by four judges at the county level and scored on criteria such as spelling, grammar, organization, content of essay and understanding of philanthropy.
Six finalists were chosen from the participating middle schools. The additional five finalists awarded their charities of choice a $50 grant.
Vedia Medina, a student at Greencastle Middle School, wrote about her grandfather, Pat Frame. She chose Servants at Work (SAWs) to receive a Finalist Grant Award.
Weston Houser, a student at North Putnam Middle School, chose the Humane Society of Putnam County to receive a Finalist Grant Award. His uncle, Curt Frund, is the philanthropist about whom he wrote.
Bryce Deardorf, also a student at North Putnam Middle School, chose the Humane Society of Putnam County as well to receive a Finalist Grant Award. The philanthropist he said he admires most is his mother, Brooke Evens.
Kaden Stutsman, a student at South Putnam Middle School, chose the Teresa Human Christmas Fund at Putnam County Comprehensive Services to receive a Finalist Grant Award. His philanthropist was his mother, CJ Troyer.
Levi Couch, also a student at South Putnam Middle School, chose the Putnam County Youth Development Commission’s Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program to receive a Finalist Grant Award and wrote about his father, Nathan Couch.
These grants are made from the Darrell Wiatt Family Philanthropy Essay Contest Endowment, which was established in 2012 by the Wiatt family to promote philanthropic education and award grants for the contest.