students sitting together on bench looking at laptops, notes, and tablets with "Better Business Bureau Student Contests Laws of Life Essay Contest Student Video Contest" in white text

Student contest prizes and winners

Better Business Bureau Student Contests encourage students in grades 9-12 to self-reflect and engage with topics of trust and ethics. Students can develop their strengths or learn new skills by writing a personal essay or creating a short video.

In 2023-2024, our office awarded $10,000 to high school students and their teachers or contest coordinators in our six-county service area.

Stay tuned for the 2024-2025 Student Contest Announcement and website update!


Laws of Life Essay Contest

The Laws of Life Essay Contest is a competition for character-related essays that challenges youth to reflect on and write an essay about their personal values, particularly principles that are essential and universal, and encourage self-reflection and self-understanding.

Writing from the HEART, the contest challenges young people to discover through reflection and writing what matters most the them in their own lives and the principles they believe should guide their behaviors and choices based on the UncommonSense® FRAMEWORK.

Best Overall Essay

Hailey Bennett, Green High School

“...it is something that I have learned to accept and deal with daily. I’ve had this disease since I was seven, so I had to grow up and take responsibility at a young age.”

Best "Responsibility" Essay

Ian Horak, Theodore Roosevelt High School

“One main responsibility in everyone’s life is time management...I’ve learned to plan events at certain times, estimate how long they will take me, and give tasks my full attention to complete them promptly.”

Gold winners

Cloverleaf High School
Kennedie Prok

Rittman High School
Jaime Warner

Theodore Roosevelt High School
Brooke Binder

Waynesdale High School
Hayler Hilty

Wayne County Career Center
Allison Krummell

Silver winners

Norwayne High School
Devan Kazar

Orrville High School
Sawyer Hamsher

Rittman High School
Chloe Smith

Stow Munroe-Falls High School
Anna Hurst

Theodore Roosevelt High School
Robiyahon Olimova
Parker Widmer

Wayne County Career Center
Amber Street
Vincent Windows

Bronze winners

Green High School
Carmina Ciccarelli-Aloisi
Brynn Fisher

Norwayne High School
Gwendalynn Armstrong

Rittman High School
Madilynn Kilgore


Student video contest

The BBB Student Video Contest encourages high school-age kids in our community to engage on topics of trust and ethics. Students should see this as an opportunity to work with a trusted brand and acquire practical skills in advertising, audio/video technology, graphic design, and storytelling with a purpose.

The BBB Student Video Contest allows students to engage with and collaborate on topics of Trust and Ethics. All high school students in grades 9-12 attending any high school in Ashland, Medina, Portage, Richland, Summit and Wayne Counties are eligible. Students may work individually but are encouraged to work together in a team (up to 4 students).

First Place

Orville High School
Catrina Race
Landon Dalessandro
Gabriella White

Second Place

Copley High School
Zander Vasilatos

Third Place

Stow Munroe Falls High School
Anderson Hurst