Quinn Barton wins American Girl Doll Essay Contest

OUR AMERICAN GIRL DOLL CONTEST WINNER IS:

Photo

Quinn Barton, 11, of Poland submitted the winning entry in The Vindicator’s American Girl Doll Essay Contest.

Hers was one of the 91 brief essays submitted to us by girls 8 to 12 years old, telling our judges how they made a difference in their lives using creativity — just as American Girl Doll character Saige Copeland does in her storybook.

Saige is the doll that Quinn can now call her own by scoring 13 out of a possible 15 points.

Here is Quinn’s entry:

I have made a difference in my life by being creative to conquer bullying.

I have a severe peanut allergy, and since Kindergarten, I’ve been made fun of because of it. When I turned 7, I started liking art and “crazy clothing.” I mix and match eccentric outfits, usually with a fun scarf, always with a hat!

So instead of being different because I have an allergy, I’m different because I’m my own person and I stand up for what I believe in.

I still get bullied, but now its for reasons I control.

ABOUT OUR WINNER

AT HOME:

• Quinn is the daughter of Daniel and Shelly Barton of Poland.

• She has two brothers, Ian, 9, and

Griffin, 8.

AT SCHOOL:

• She is a fifth-grader at Holy Family School in Poland.

INTERESTS

• Quinn plays soccer, enjoys art and is involved in an adoption program at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Fla., which rescues and cares for injured sea turtles. For the past three years, Quinn has used her own money to sponsor the care of a rescued turtle and track its progress.

• And she obviously is a huge fan of American Girl Dolls. Saige is her sixth, preceded by Molly, Emily, Lanie, McKenna and Kanani. She’s acquired her collection as a result of gifts, e-Bay finds and, now, her creative writing.

She’s also appeared in two of the American Girl Fashion Shows — in 2009, when it was sponsored by the Angels for Easter Seals, and in 2012, presented by Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley.

CONGRATULATIONS, QUINN!!!

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE OTHER ENTRIES (unedited):

• Isabella Rothwell

Age 8

Columbiana

I love to play dolls, dress-up and restaurant! I can turn anything into a fun costume. Right now I am making shoe boxes into Barbie houses. I also love to play with my kitchen set and real china! I am very creative when I play. I like that I can be anyone I want to be or imagine that I can do anything. I am happy that I am creative and have a great imagination. I am never bored and can always create something fun to do.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Alexandra Long

Age 8

Hermitage, Pa.

I have always been creative! I love to make things for other people, being creative makes me feel good. I enjoy writing stories for my dolls to act out. The thing that I do for this community is I am a girl scout and for Valentine’s Day I made valentines for the nursing home. I have a deluxe art set so drawing it’s a kit that makes it easier to draw and create. I am a very good artist so it warms other people’s hearts to get a drawing or homemade creation from me.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Sarah Bell

Age 8

Leavittsburg

I realized that me and my family, as we read devotions and the Bible, I started to become more creative. My mom and dad have told me I have always watched things and taken everything in around me. I have learned to be creative in learning new things.

I became a “Keeper at Home” girl, and I realized that it helped me know more about other things. I have a plastic square pattern of a horse I am working on. I recently learned to crochet, macrame, and make a 12”x12” activity blanket for our Church’s Nursery. Hope I win!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Greta Graffius

Age 10

Canfield

My name is Greta and I love both the arts and animals just like Saige Copeland I’ve made a difference by working to organize a fund raiser for a local animal shelter. About four weeks ago I was talking to a friend about ways we could make a difference and soon we had 3 other people involved. We researched animal adoption and created a flyer for a fund raiser. A few weeks ago we met with our principal and showed him the flyer. He thinks we can get the entire school involved and I hope we can help some animals!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Mary Liddle

Age 10

Poland

This is how I used my creativity and made a difference. My little sister has a big imagination and thought bugs were in her room and cried every night which woke me up. So I told her a fake perfume bottle was bug spray. So now every night before she goes to bed, she sprays the fake perfume bottle around her room and she says it makes all the bugs run out of her room, down the hall and into the toilet. That was how I used my creativity and made a difference in my life.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Katie Flory

Age 10

Salem

Have you ever had a friend who left your school, but you still wanted to be friends with them? I have, in fact, one of my very best friends.

She left to be homeschooled. So, I had to be creative and think of a way to still be friends with her. Then it came to me, I’d invite her to a lot of things, and make her feel welcome when I’m around her. So I did, and it worked because I’m still friends with her now.

That’s how being creative helped me keep a friend. Now, you try.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Adrianna Quinlan

Age 9

Boardman

I have been creative, like Saige, and made a difference in my life by participating in Jump Rope for Heart for the past three years. Every year at school we raise money for kids who have heart disease. Our gym teacher sets up stations to do. Some examples are, helicopter with the jump rope, jumping long rope, playing on scooters and using hula hoops and jump ropes. All of these creative stations are very fun. I always remember while I am at these stations, that I'm making a difference for all of the children who suffer from heart disease. This year our school raised over $7,000 and it made me feel proud. Like Saige, I'm one girl who used her creative side to make a difference in the world.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Merrick Morneweck

Age 10

Mercer

My name is Merrick Morneweck. I love to ride horses and draw, just like Saige! I also play the piano, sew and take dance lessons. Creativity has allowed me to sew my own banner to decorate my horse’s stall at horse shows. Being creative helped me design and sew a princess costume for my mom. With my drawings, I can illustrate stories or just draw one for a friend that is having a bad day. With my creativity, I will achieve my dream of becoming a fashion designer. Creativity changes my life everyday by allowing me to be myself!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Annika McCabe

Age 10

Youngstown

Last year, in public school, I used to get bullied a lot. I found a new school… but still had to finish the rest of the year. I was nervous because I felt that there was no way of escaping or expressing myself.

I started to draw and to feel the satisfaction of expression. Art gave me an outlet to escape from all of the hurtful words.

The bullying ended and I still draw. I feel so much better than I did. . When you find a healthy way to express yourself, a positive person is the outcome.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Rebekah Silver

Age 11

Poland

I don’t like board games, so I make up games when I play with my friends. I think of movies or make up stories, and pretend them to life. If we need other characters, we use stuffed animals, take two parts, or talk to “invisible” people. Our rooms are different places—the school, the store, the party palace. We might fight over who we get to “be,” but we eventually put it behind us. We disagree, but learn to work it out. Because when we play, we become better friends in both worlds—our pretend world and the real world.