The 9th annual BBB Laws of Life Essay Contest, sponsored by the BBB Marketplace Education Initiative (serving Ashland, Medina, Portage, Richland, Summit & Wayne Counties), continues to grow.  This year 93 essays were submitted and 3 student videos with over $8,000 in prizes given to 48 students, contest coordinators and teachers; as well as certificates for their winning entries. 

The BBB Laws of Life Essay Contest is for students in grades 9-12 and encourages students to self-reflect and write about ethical principles based on the UncommonSense® FRAMEWORK, or a "law of life."

The special theme this year was Transformation.  Students were asked to reflect on what “Transformation” means to them, why it is an important Law of Life, how they learned the trait, and how they have changed their behavior to live up to that law. The best essay on this topic was awarded $250.00. 

• The Best Overall essay was written by Abbie Arnold from Norwayne High School. 

• The Best “Transformation”  was written by Madilynn Kilgore from Rittman High School.

Other winners include:

Medina County

• Cloverleaf High School:
  • Alexis Hankins - Bronze $100
  • Lillian Richardson - Honorable Mention $50

Portage County

• Theodore Roosevelt High School:
  • Katherine Logue - Silver $150
  • Lauren Elliott - Honorable Mention $50
  • Grace Polcha - Honorable Mention $50

Richland County

• Mansfield High School:
  • Cara Marhenke - Gold $250

Summit County

• Green High School
  
  • Giuliana Ciccarelli-Aloisi - Silver $150
  • Maranatha Baum - Bronze $100
  • Carter Daly - Bronze $100
  • Destiny Knapp - Bronze $100
  • Elyssa Paine - Bronze $100
  • Paige Sitko - Bronze $100
  • Reese Spoerndle - Bronze $100
  • Davis Stanley - Bronze $100
• Twinsburg High School:
  • Nate Bartel - Gold $250

Wayne County

• Norwayne High School:
  • Abbie Arnold - Best Overall $500
  • Amanda Nelson - Bronze $100
  • Madisyn Harper - Honorable Mention $50
• Orrville High School:
  • David Koteles - Honorable Mention $50
• Rittman High School:
  • Madilynn Kilgore - Best "Transformation" $250
  • Briana Reed - Bronze $100
  • Jocquelone Schusler - Bronze $100 
  • Frannie Taylor - Bronze $100
  • Jakob Gibson -  Honorable Mention $50
  • Collin Hunt -  Honorable Mention $50
  • Olivia Lukehart -  Honorable Mention $50
  • Emily Perdue -  Honorable Mention $50
  • Cadence Soucek -  Honorable Mention $50
• Smithville High School:
  • Chloe Cannon -  Honorable Mention $50
  • Jered Sanders -  Honorable Mention $50
• Wayne County Career Center:
  • Karissa Yoder -  Honorable Mention $50
• Waynedale High School:
  • Jewel Persinger -  Honorable Mention $50

This year BBB Marketplace Education Initiative held our 1st Student Video  Contest. This contest encourages high school-age kids in our community to engage on topics of trust and ethics. It was an opportunity to work with a trusted brand, and acquire practical skills in advertising, audio/video technology, graphic design, and storytelling with a purpose.

Students are encouraged to work as an individual or in a team (up to 4 students) together, with guidance from parents and teachers, to create a 30-60 second video that tells a story about:

BBB’s Standards for Trust

The importance of the BBB mission today and in the future.

BBB Services including: 

                      - Get a Quote Program

                      - Submitting a Review

                      - Scam Tracker

                      - Finding a Trustworthy Business

                      - Filing a Complaint

The Best Over Student Video was created by Madilynn Kilgore and Hunter Shreve from Rittman High School in Wayne County

2021 Winner Essays

• The Best Overall essay was written by Katelyn Troyer from Orrville High School. Ms. Troyer's essay was titled "Never Forget: Compassion for Others."

• The Best “Unity”  was written by Peyton Leatherman from Rittman High School. Ms. Leatherman’s essay was titled "Unity in my Community"

Other winners include:

Medina County

• Cloverleaf High School:
  • Abby Washinger - Gold $250
  • Joseph Charek - Silver $150
  • Emily Winnicki - Bronze $100

Portage County

• Theodore Roosevelt High School:
  • Francis Mathias Broyles - Gold $250
  • Emma Schweitzer - Gold $250
  • Blake Green - Silver $150
  • Rain Carman - Silver $150
  • Matt Keleman - Bronze $100

Summit County

• Woodridge High School
  
  • Collin Ochoa - Gold $250

Wayne County

• Orrville High School:
  • Katelyn Troyer - Best Overall $500
  • Jake Phillips - Gold $250
  • Isabel Cartagena - Gold $250
  • Tyler Schroer - Bronze $100
  • Jasmine McElroy - Bronze $100
• Rittman High School:
  • Peyton Leatherman - Best "Unity" $250
  • Alexis Connolly - Silver $150
  • Haylee Nelson - Silver $150 
  • Adrianna Rivera - Bronze $100
  • Jacqueline Schuster - Bronze $100
  • Cadence Soucek - Bronze $100
• Smithville High School:
  • Amanda Fleming - Gold $250
• Tri-Way Career Center
  • Erica Boyer - Gold $250
• Wayne County Career Center:
  • Karissa Yoder - Gold $250
    
  • Andrea Maibach  - Silver $150

• The Best Overall essay was written by Aubrie Hayhurst from Cloverleaf High School. Ms. Hayhurst's essay was titled "Compassion for Others."

• The Best “Ethics”  was written by Makenna Bowes from Rittman High School. Ms. Bowes’s essay was titled "Ethics in the Face of Adoption"

Other winners include:

Medina County

• Black Water High School:
  • Cassidy Mrakuzic - "The Laws of Life"
• Cloverleaf High School:
  • Aubrie Hayhurst - "Compassion for Others."
  • Hannah Krzywkowski - “Tough Times Lead to Transformation”
  • Alexis Letner - “You Don’t Understand Until You Get Involved”
  • Sarasa Sivapatham - “Growing From Past Experiences”
• Medina High School
  • Peyton Johnson - “To Make Me Feels Like a Hero”
  • Livy Lauschin - “Hold Your Umbrella Close”

Portage County

• Theodore Roosevelt High School:
  • Caleb Benci - “The Value of Values”
  • Joseph Gavriloff - “Persevering through Hearing Impairment”
  • Ethan Hearty - “Laws of Life”
  • Emily Klasa - “Keep Going”

Summit County

• Akron Public Schools (STEM)
  • Ravyn Edge - “Always Do the Right Thing”
• Green High School:
  • Taylor Peterson - “The True Meaning of a Friend”
• St. Peregrine Academy:
  • Elizabeth Messing - “Ethics”

Wayne County

• Norwayne High School:
  • Mason Booth - “The Importance of Accountability”
  • Corrine Henslee - "The Summer I Learned to Forgive”
• Orrville High School:
  • Maya Hamsher - “Just Make a Difference”
  • Lane Marshall - “Perseverance”
  • Phillip Stauffer - “Appreciation”
  • Caleb Wile - “What is the Worth of Integrity”
• Rittman High School:
  • Makenna Bowes - "Ethics in the Face of Adoption”
  • Emily Carpenter - “I Forgive You Mom” 
  • Mackenzie Fox - "Forgive and Forget” 
  • Charles Honaker - "Forgive and Forget” 
  • Jadon Pomery - "What Perseverance Means to Me” 
• Smithville High School:
  • Noah Smith - “Integrity and Maturation”
• Wayne County Career Center:
  • Erin Coffman - “Compassion for Others”
  • Abigail Rahz  - “Respect: The Key to Mutual Acceptance”

• The Best Overall essay was written by Jillian St. John from Rittman High School. Ms. St. John's essay was titled "Virtues Arise from Difficult Times"
  

• The Best “Integrity”  was written by Jadon Pomery from Rittman High School. Mr. Pomery’s essay was titled "Integrity in You"

Other winners include:

Medina County

• Cloverleaf High School:
  • Jillian Donnelly - "Excellence in Life"
  • Kayleigh Ethington - "What are Leaders?"
• Medina High School:
  • Ethan Brigg - "Integrity: Do Right No Matter What"
  • Blake Chenevey - “How Honesty Drives My Life”
  • Ellyson Heine - “No Ceiling”

Portage County

• Theodore Roosevelt High School:

  • Madelyn Fisher - “What Does Living Mean for Me?”

  • Makhia Friedman - “Life Changing Lessons”

  • Jillian Hanna - “The Power of Positivity”
  • Lana Subahi - “Forgiveness is the Way”

Summit County

• Green High School:
  • Claudia Isakov - “Precious Pearls”
  • Brynne Mosteller - “A Tear for a Smile” 
• St. Peregrine Academy:
  • Michael Pietras - “Unity”
  • Nicholas Pietras - “Excellence” 

Wayne County

• Norwayne High School:
  • Jacob Hanzie - “Respecting Authority, Serving Leadership”
  • Maxwell Norman - "Self Ethical Evaluation”
• Orrville High School:
  • Logan Domer - “State Champs”
  • Ethan Wert - “Courage”
• Rittman High School:

  • Makenna Bowes - "Transformation”

  • Jadon Pomery - “Integrity is You” 

  • Jillian St. John - "Virtues Arise in Difficult Times” 
  • Trinity Reed - "Thorough Perseverance” 
• Smithville High School:
  • Owen McNally - “Integrity”
• Waynesdale High School:
  • Erika Snyder - “Forgiveness: The Key to Happiness”
• Wayne County Career Center:

  • Afton Brown - “Having Integrity”

  • Abigail Rahz  - “Responsibility and Me”
  • Vivien Strarcher - “Laws of Life”