This contest is open to students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. Essays will be judged on their content, clarity, and grammar and 15 winners will be announced on March 26th.
All students with winning essays will receive honoree certificates and congratulatory letters. Three students will be chosen as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each grade level, and one student out of the 15 winners will be chosen as the Sheriff’s Ambassador for the Day. The top winner will be invited to join Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. for a unique chance to see the inner workings of Sheriff’s operations, meet our K-9s, tour the jail, and enjoy an Ambassador’s Luncheon. The date of the visit is flexible based on the student’s schedule and any potential COVID-19 restrictions.
To participate in the Say Something Essay Contest, students are urged to submit an essay piece about the following topic no later than 11:00 p.m. on March 12, 2021:
Have you ever witnessed a peer behaving in a way that concerned you enough to want to “say something” but were afraid or did not know whom to turn to? Were there other times when you did speak up because you perceived someone’s actions could be a danger to themselves or others? Why is it important to say something? Feel free to use examples (without names) about situations that you encountered in school or in your community.
Important guidelines:
- Include a cover page with first and last name, email address, cell phone number, name of the school, and grade level.
- Essays should be typed, and a minimum of 500 words with a maximum of 2000 words.
- Please submit all essays or questions to Kristin.MacKay@suffolkcountyny.gov
- You will receive a confirmation of your email submission.