Each year the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) sponsors a creative writing contest for fifth graders nationwide to write on the theme: “Why I Am Glad America is a Nation of Immigrants”. Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School fifth graders composed poems, essays, and short stories and submitted them to the Michigan Chapter of the AILA.
We are proud to announce that two students placed in the top 3. Jack Blose placed third, and Anya Fondaw placed 1st in the state.
As our fifth graders were unable to attend the official award ceremony as they were at Camp Tamarack last week, AILA representatives visited the classroom this morning to personally present our winners their prizes.
Blose and Fondaw first shared their winning poems to their friends, family, and administration before being awarded certificates, Barnes and Noble gift cards, and notebooks.
Best of luck to Fondaw as her entry will continue on to the national contest level. The national contest winner will be invited to read their entry at the American Immigration Council American Heritage Awards in June in Orlando.