3H Essay Winners | 2019

Winning Essay, Freya Margureta Lipovsek Hoek:
JFK was the 35th President of America and he was the second oldest of nine kids. When he was sick he would lay in bed and read a book. When he was well he still read but he also loved the sea and loved to go sailing. At age 23, he wrote his first book Why England Slept. Then at age 42, he wrote his second book Profiles in Courage.
He had a young beautiful wife named Jacqueline Kennedy and two playful children John F. Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Kennedy. JFK taught me to ignore any insults or negative comments. The first time he ignored others was when others said he could not be president because he was Roman Catholic. There had never been a Roman Catholic President before, but he still won.
The second time he ignored others was when people said he should not help the Civil Rights Act, which he did anyway. He helped by commanding that black and white people can go to the same schools, drink from the same water fountains, eat in the same restaurants, and go to the same hotels.
The third time he ignored others was when the Cuban Missile Crisis started. So many people wanted to fight including his brother Robert F Kennedy. JFK was not into fighting. He wanted peace not war so he sent boats around Cuba where the missiles were planted to America as a threat. The American boats sent the Soviet Union boats away which worked so the missiles were taken away.
Then he used words, his talent, because the Soviet Union was still testing nuclear missiles. He asked the Soviet Union to stop testing missiles. They made a treaty and that's how he saved a lot of lives just by ignoring people who told him to go to war. One of the lessons that people can learn from JFK is to not listen to people who insult you or disagree in a negative way, but to follow what you believe in.

Runner-Up Essay, Itai Alon:
Did you ever want to learn about a president in 1917? Well then you should read about JFK! The most interesting thing I learned about JFK is that he helped others.
The first way he helped others is when he met up with the Top 10 to discuss how segregation is not fair. By meeting up with the Top 10, he helped African Americans have equal rights so they could go to the same schools that were whites only, to drink from water fountains that were whites only, to go to bathrooms that were whites only, and to do a bunch of other things that were whites only.
The second way he helped others was when he started the Peace Corps. The Peace Crops sent Americans to other countries to give medicine, build houses, and help farms. He didn't only care about his country but he also cared about other countries. He wanted to build better relationships with other countries.
The last way he helped others was when his boat PT 109 was hit by a Japanese destroyer. One man in his crew was seriously burned. JFK, who had back problems, carried him to shore with the rest of his crew for five whole miles. He could have left that man to die but instead he was brave and rescued the man even though it meant risking himself.
In conclusion, I think JFK was important because he wasn’t a selfish man. He thought segregation was unfair. He didn’t have to help other countries, but he did anyway. He could have left a man that was burned and couldn’t swim but NO he would not leave him. He wanted to help in everything he could and that is why I think he was an important president.