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2015 American Girl Doll Essay Contest
Nine-year-old Molly Durkin of Girard is the winner of The Vindicator’s 2015 American Girl Doll Essay Contest, which we conducted in conjunction with the upcoming American Girl Fashion Show presented by Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley. Molly’s essay was one of the 155 we received this year.
The 8- to 12-year-old participants were given the task of writing an essay in 100 words or fewer about the dreams and goals they have. That theme was in keeping with the story that accompanies the Grace Thomas doll – American Girl Doll’s 2015 Girl of the Year doll and this year’s contest prize.
Each doll in American Girl’s line comes with a book telling a story of how she successfully dealt with a challenge in her life.
Grace is described as a young girl who loves to bake with friends and invent new recipes. Then a trip to Paris challenges her to try new things — including turning her passion for baking into a business.
ABOUT OUR WINNER
Molly lives in Girard with her parents, Breen and Paula Durkin, and brother, Henry. She is a student at Prospect Elementary School; her teacher is Lori Sinopoli. Her interests are basketball, softball and Irish Step Dancing, for which she receives lessons at the Burke School of Dance in Youngstown. She also is a team member of the Destination Imagination program at Prospect. Molly has three other American Girl Dolls: Molly, Emily and Katherine, her Look Like Me doll.
ABOUT THE SHOW
When: March 7 and 8, 2015
Where: Antone’s Banquet Center, 8578 Market St., Boardman
Times: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day
Tickets: $30 per person; order by calling 330-746-8712
NOTE: Each girl who enters the contest will receive one complimentary ticket to the show of her choice. A parent’s email address is required to receive their tickets.
Here are a few more entries that our judges liked. All are unedited.
Hattie Sherman, 11 years old, Canfield
My goal is to help people around the world who are in need of food or shelter, so that all children will be able to go to school. I was inspired by a novel I read about children in the third world who live in a dumpsite. I try to do well in school and want help other go to school too because we call have equal rights, including the right to be educated and have a better life. Many American children don’t understand what a privilege a sale, free school is, and my dream is to make sure that all children can get an education.
Emily Leonard, 8 years old, Boardman
When I grow up I want to be an artist. I want to be an artist because I like to draw. My most favorite things to draw are animals. Making art makes people feel happy and people smile when they see my art so I am also making other people happy. Drawing is fun for me and I enjoy coloring also. My parents and my teacher also think I’m good at drawing and coloring. I had a lot of surgeries when I was little and art made me forget about some of my problems. I enjoy making bright and colorful cards for other people. I can draw almost anything that anyone asks me to draw. I hope I continue to draw and get even better.
Kelem Klotzbach, 8 years old, North Bloomfield
I was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I was an orphan for two years, and then I was adopted. Now I live in Ohio with my family. When I was born, I was born with a clubbed foot. I had three surgeries on my clubbed foot. Now I am eight years old and my foot is fine. My clubbed foot didn’t stop me from having the dream to be an Olympic runner. I have run three Turkey Trots and have won all of them for my age division. I can’t wait to live my dream of being an Olympic runner.
Ellie Grace Maurice, 11 years old, Girard
Most kids make a super long list of things for their birthday, but not me. I only have one thing on my list, money. I want to donate this money to St. Jude. I am making loom hats and gathering up money to make someone smile when they need it most. About 8 years ago, my friend Nick Avery died of cancer. His family and Nick got exceptional care at St. Jude and I want other families to experience the same loving care. My goal for April 29th, is to collect $100 and 10 hats.
Katherine (Katie) Toepfer, 9 years old, Warren
My name is Katherine Toepfer and I am 9 years old. I really like cooking with my dad. I get to flip pancakes, snip green beans, and hang homemade spaghetti to dry. I make a lot of messes, but I really enjoy it! I have a dream to open a restaurant and call it The Wild Card! I want to be the head chef who offers the Wild Card dish, which is where the chef chooses a meal for you. I am creative and would like to use my art to make the food look pretty and taste good.
Kaytlin Jacobsen, 9 years old, New Middletown
Hi! I’m Kaitlyn and I just turned 9 years old. Since I am only 9, I have many dreams I could write about. I would like to have my own horse and be able to raise it. I hope to become a zookeeper because I enjoy animals. I want to live in a beautiful home with lots of rooms. When I am older I want to be able to say I have made good choices instead of bad ones. But most of all, I want to continue being a kind person without judging others who are different than me.
Abigail Lynn Marek, 10 years old, Austintown
My name is Abigail Marek. My dream is to become a teacher. I play the piano and I want to be like my piano teacher Jack Ciarnello. He’s inspired me to pursue my dream becoming a music teacher. Ever since I was little, I would play teacher. I would dress up and even have my coffee mug :) I love to play school with my 3 year old brother. I’m excited when he learns something new that I taught him. At school I tutor kids who are behind in class. I feel proud when they succeed after I would with them!
Anna Wallace, 9 years old, Wadsworth
Hi, my name is Anna Wallace. My dream is to play in the WNBA in Chicago. My goals for the future are to work hard and to go to the next level city league basketball next year. I’d like to get a spare basketball hoop for my basement so I can practice even when it’s icy. I play Upward basketball now and love my coaches and team, the Lady Spartans. I also love American Girl and their stories because they teach me to work for things that I love like Saige with art and Grace with starting her own business.
Quinn Magyarics, 9 years old, Canal Fulton My name is Quinn and I am 9 years old. I am in 3rd grade. When I was in 1st grade I figured out I have ADHD. That means I have a hard time paying attention and focusing. I have to work twice as hard as everyone else. Even though I have a disability, I want to go to college to be a veterinarian. Like all of the American Girls I have never been afraid to work harder than everyone else to reach my goals.
Carmen Pulice, 10 years old, Poland
When I was 8 years old, I had to go into the hospital and have my tonsils out. Dr. Krakowitz was my ENT surgeon. He took such special care of me and showed so much compassion to me. That is when I decided that I want to be an ENT doctor when I grow up. I even practice on my own American girl doll that I have named Carmen. I wish that the American Girl store sold an ENT or doctor kit that I could use. I know that I will be an excellent ENT doctor when I grow up, because I take special care of my American girl doll.
Cheyenne Watters, 8 years old, Youngstown
When I grow up my goal for the future is to be a doctor because I want to take care of my Papa. I want to move in with my great grandparents while I go to college and take care of tem. I want to take care of my Papa because he helped take care of me when I was a little girl. My Papa took care of me when my mom went to work. I also want to become a doctor to take care of a lot of other people. That is what my goal is for the future.
Emily Alexis Benson. 8 years old, Masury
My name is Emily Alexis Benson, I am 8 years old, a second grader at Brookfield Elementary School in Brookfield, Ohio. I would like to take care of people and study the heart, like to be a cardiologist, when I grow up. I like to help people and hope in the future I will have my own office and help those people to live a great life. I would also like to be able to give American Girl Dolls away too, to all the little girls that would like one, and also be able to give something to little boys also. I don’t no what school I will attend after I graduate, but I am sure I will be smart enough to do a terrific job. Come look me up in the future. I will be Dr. Benson.
Kaleigh Williams, 9 years old, Canfield
In the future, I plan to be a teacher. However, I don’t plan on just teaching fifth grade. I want to teach disabled children at a therapeutic horseback riding center. My dad has a friend with an autistic son. When he rides horses it helps calm him down. This inspired me to combine the things I love: being a teacher, helping others, and horseback riding. My goal is to be a person that is kind and helpful to others. If I can be a teacher that helps just one family or child, then I would be happy.
Hosanna Curtis, 8 years old, Lowellville
When I grow up, I want to run a bakery, like Grace, and make new recipes and lots of tarts. I love to bake sweet stuff, like sugar cookies and angel cake. Icing is the best part of baking. I’ll serve sweet things at my bakery along with cold milk in fancy goblets, and coffee and tea in fancy mugs. I want my shop to look like a pretty garden. I want to welcome people to my individual little garden houses, where they can spend a nice— not crazy— morning or afternoon with their family.
Gabryelle Dick, 9 years old, Akron
My name is Gabryelle Dick, I’m 9 years old. I live in Akron, Ohio. I love to play with my American Girl dolls, especially during our long cold Ohio winters. I also collect the American girl dogs because I have a love for dogs. I hope to one day become an animal rescuer and open a shelter to rescue dogs that are homeless and hungry. It breaks my heart to see animals lost with out their family. I want them to feel the love my dogs feel from me. I might not change to world with my shelter but I will change the lives of some lucky dogs.
Mallory Hudson, 9 years old, Youngstown
My dream for my future is to be a teacher when I get older. I want to be a teacher because I love to go to school and want to help little ones learn. At the daycare I go to before and after school, I help little kids write their letters and numbers. I also read to them and sing with them. I love to make crafts with them too. I really like to work with kids. I believe that I will be a teacher some day.