Local students win state essay contest

Students in Groton and Waterford are among the winners of this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay Contest, hosted by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy.

Cierra Bass of Fitch High School and Ella DeVito of Oswegatchie Elementary School were named winners in the 2nd Congressional District. Nearly 2,800 submissions were entered, and three students from each of Connecticut’s five federal congressional districts were selected as winners in the annual contest, now in its fifth year.

“The events of the past year have laid bare the mass inequities in our country and, as we reflect on Dr. King’s dream for justice and equality in America, it is clear we still have a way to go,” Murphy said in a release. “The essays submitted by students across Connecticut continue to give me hope. I’m certain that if these students continue to stay engaged in their community and reject the sins of our past, we’ll realize Dr. King’s dream sooner rather than later.”

All winning entries are available to read at murphy.senate.gov.

Local students receive Westerly College Club scholarships

The Westerly College Club has distributed its 2020 scholarships, celebrating its recipients via Zoom. A total of $35,000 was distributed to 22 students in southeastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island.

Local recipients include North Stonington residents Andrew Carlson and Alyssa Perez and Stonington residents Caroline Andrews, Krista Jones, Emily Lewis, Nicholas Turco, Elizabeth Yarnall and Izadora Yarnall. A complete list of recipients, as well as information about the club and its scholarship programs, is available at thewesterlycollegeclub.org.

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