Lifting Up Westchester Announces Local 2023 Student Essay Contest Winners

Lifting Up Westchester, a non-profit agency committed to helping individuals experiencing homelessness and hunger achieve self-sufficiency, announces the winners of their sixth annual student essay contest. Open to all students attending school in Westchester in the 7th to 12th grades, this year students were invited to think about the connections between, and misperceptions about, mental health and homelessness and how we might end the stigmas attached to both.

The essay contest was established in 2017 in memory of Beth Massey Rubens, a 40-year resident of Scarsdale and a lifelong teacher, tutor, and mentor who had a love for language arts.

Students were asked to consider that mental health impacts how we think, feel and act and how we cope with life. Mental health also influences how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Family illness, job loss, divorce, not doing well in school, being bullied, hunger, poor housing and becoming unhoused are just some of the things that can trigger mental health issues.  This can result in emotions such as anxiety, depression, or loneliness.  “With a nationally increased focus on the importance of mental health, this year’s topic clearly struck a chord for students,” said Anahaita Kotval, CEO of Lifting Up Westchester. “Students shared deeply personal stories about their own challenges with mental health. But as they researched the underlying causes of homelessness, they learned that mental health issues are not the primary cause of individuals becoming homeless. With this knowledge, many of them suggested ways to help end the stigmas attached to both mental health and homelessness so that we can all work toward a better future for everyone.”

A panel of 49 judges reviewed the essays to select the ultimate winners. First, second and third place and honorable mention cash prizes will be awarded in each of the three grade groups: 7th and 8th grades, 9th and 10th grades, and 11th and 12th grades.  An ESL category was also established for any student from grades 7 through 12 for whom English is a second language.

 Local students include: Cadence Kappel, 2nd place in the 7th and 8th Grade category from Pelham Middle School; Rafe Goodyear, Honorable Mention in the 7th and 8th Grade category from Pelham Middle School; Isabella Vembenil, 2nd place in the 9th and 10th Grade category from The Ursuline School, New Rochelle.