St. John’s grad awaits contest results
A recent eighth-grade graduate of St. John’s Catholic School is waiting to learn how her submission in an essay contest fares at the national level after she won the regional and state competitions earlier this spring.
Lia Signorelli was recognized during the school’s graduation ceremony as the winner of the regional and state competitions in the essay category of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas 2017 National Education Contest. She is the daughter of Kathleen Signorelli and Michael Carter, of Hot Springs, and Dan Signorelli, of St. Louis.
“I was shaking and couldn’t believe I just won,” Lia Signorelli said. “I was surprised that I won because normally my writing does not win anything.”
The themes selected for the Education Contest are meant to “encourage lively imagination and freedom of thought when student talent and application go hand-in-hand.” Entries could be submitted in the categories of art, essay, poetry, computer art, music or photography.
First-place winners will each receive $100. Second place and third place in each category will receive $50 and $25, respectively. The awards are scheduled to be announced at the Catholic Daughters’ 2017 State Officers Workshop in Illinois.
Donna Kent issued the essay assignment to students early in the spring semester and provided suggestions of service activities students could write about. Lia Signorelli has only lived in Hot Springs since last summer and felt the examples were not applicable to her.
“I think the reason it was so good is because moving from St. Louis to here was such a big change for her,” Kathleen Signorelli said.
Kathleen and her daughter both grew up in St. Louis before relocating to Hot Springs last summer. Both said they enjoy living in Hot Springs, but the community provided a sharply different environment than where they previously lived.
“I love it,” Lia Signorelli said. “Everyone is so nice to me. I have not had one problem with any of the neighborhood kids. Where we live, on the lake, is so pretty. I am always doing something at the lake in the summer.”
She said she chose to write about her own experiences with other kids in her neighborhood. She met a group on her first day in Hot Springs while she was still unpacking and befriended them.
The children and their families became friends and took part in many activities together. She said she sought ways to support them after learning more about their personal situations.
“We organized a clean up day at their house,” Lia Signorelli wrote in her essay. “We worked together and cleaned up the house, collected trash and the kids borrowed our lawn mower and cut the grass.
“Every week we made meals and had everybody over to eat at our house. My mom and I cleaned out our closets and donated shoes, clothes, bed sheets, blankets and pillows.”
She described how she used money she saved during the year to buy gifts for her friends. They made gift bags and invited the family over for a Christmas dinner.
“It was fun and they were so appreciative,” she wrote. “I realized how nice it feels to give to others and to note judge.
“I am thankful for my new friends. We support each other in many ways and appreciate life. Hopefully, our friendships will grow and we will be able to work together to help other families in need of help.”
Kathleen Signorelli said she felt her daughter’s personal connections and the initiative of her actions was recognized by the judges. Many other students volunteer in more structured functions or organizations for their service experiences.
“It is what she actually did to help other people and giving of herself,” she said. “She didn’t do this for school. She didn’t help these people for school. We did not help these people for school. She didn’t even know she was doing a social service helping people.
“That is what the paper indicated. Sometimes we help people without even recognizing we are helping them or doing a ‘good deed.’”
Lia Signorelli attended Lakeside High School’s RAMp Up orientation program a year ago, but the family opted to enroll her in St. John’s for one year instead. She will be a freshman at Lakeside for the 2017-18 school year.
“Reaching out a helping hand, an ear to listen, a kind word or a hug to comfort, an invitation to have a meal together are all ways to assist those in need,” she wrote.
“Rich or poor, happy or sad, we all need help sometimes. Life is a blessing.”