5/10/2022 8:57:00 AM Health Dept. Honors Essay Contest Winners Freeston, Shutt and Beam win with timely topics
From the left are Jaelyn Freeston, an 11th grader from East Lincoln High School, who finished in first place with her topic of substance use; Seraphina Shutt, a ninth grader from West Lincoln High, who secured second place with her topic of side-stepping salmonella with safety standards; and Lance Beam, a 10th grader from Lincoln Charter, who won third place with his topic of mental health reform.
(Photo Courtesy Lincoln County Health Department)
Lincoln Herald Staff lh@lincolnherald.net
LINCOLNTON––Three local students are being honored for their essays on some important subjects.
According to community health manager Stephen Kegley of the Lincoln County Health Department, the Lincoln County Board of Health recently awarded scholarships to Jaelyn Freeston, Seraphina Shutt and Lance Beam as a result of the inaugural Public Health Leadership Essay Contest.
As Kegley explained Monday, the health board “created the contest to engage the next generation of leaders in public health and help deserving students graduate and give back to society.”
He continued that the contest was open to Lincoln County students in grades nine-12 in public, private and homeschool educational settings. Participants were required to submit essays that provided solutions to relevant public health issues. From these essay submissions, three candidates were selected to provide in-person presentations on their essays to a review board, from which the winners were selected based on their writing and presentation skills. These students showcased their intelligence, speaking talents and potential to become future public health leaders at the May 3 health board meeting.
Freeston is an 11th grader at East Lincoln High School. She finished in first place with her topic of substance use. Shutt is a ninth grader at West Lincoln High. She secured second place with her topic of side-stepping salmonella with safety standards. And Beam is a 10th grader at Lincoln Charter. He earned third place with his topic of mental health reform. The students were awarded $700, $450 and $200 scholarships respectively. Freeston’s essay may be seen on the Lincoln County Health Department Website: www.lincolncounty.org/health.
Kegley spoke further about the essay contest’s goals.
“It is the hope,” he said, “to spotlight public health in a non-traditional capacity, to engage family and teachers around the efforts of young leaders and foster interest of future thinkers and to create a public connection that links scholastic focus, personal families, teen enthusiasm and a governing board for a common purpose.”
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