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Eighth-grader from Salem pens a winning Appalachia essay
The pupil wrote about his father’s encouragement.
SALEM — Zach Maenz is a winner.
The eighth-grader has had a tough year with two football injuries that kept him on the sideline.
Zach, of Salem, hasn’t let those injuries slow him down, however.
He also likes to write, and he won the eighth-grade essay category in the third annual “I’m a Child of Appalachia” contest sponsored by the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio.
He and family members will be dining with Gov. Ted Strickland and his wife, Frances, and other winners Saturday night at the governor’s mansion in Bexley.
His family includes his father, Darrin, his mother, Jill, and brother, Levi.
The contest was open to students in grades four through eight in the 29 Ohio counties that are part of Appalachia.
The essays didn’t focus on stereotypical tales of poverty. Instead, students were asked to write about the people who were a positive influence in their life, and how the student will help others make a difference in their lives.
Zach said his father encourages him in real life.
Essays had to be extremely short — no more than 200 words.
“I never dreamed I would be picked,” Zach said. But he was more than up to the challenge.
He loves football, but he tore a hamstring at the start of the season.
At his first practice after coming back, he said he broke the growth plate in his ankle. His right foot is still in a cast.
Zach used football in his first-person account, describing how his team was defeated 30-0 in the last game of the season.
In the essay, the father tells his son he had played very well despite the team loss.
“That is what kids need,” Zach wrote. “Encouragement can get someone through tough times, or make them try something new.”
He added that students need “teachers to praise them for their good works, not their failures. I want to be that teacher. I want to encourage kids every day, hopefully right here in Salem. Whatever happens in my life, I will encourage kids because I believe with a little encouragement, you can do anything.”
Zach said that though he likes writing, he really wants to be a math teacher.
The young writer is in the junior high’s advanced English program that is taught by Kelly Janofa.
The essay winners get a $100 U.S. Savings Bond, and the winner’s teacher gets a $500 grant for curriculum enrichment.
wilkinson@vindy.com