Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Pupil puts thoughts to paper to win essay title
PUTTING her thoughts to paper, Grade 9 Rhenish Girls’ High School pupil Sara Rawoot took home the title of regional winner for the Middle East and Africa Region for her essay entry at the Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition this month.
The competition, which aims to let learners internationally showcase their creative ideas and written communication skills, saw Sara shed light on the importance of women and the role they have played in historical events across the world.
“I have, for as long as I remember, enjoyed writing. Most of the writing was done for fun or for school, but my mother always thought I could write. It was she who came across the competition and insisted that I enter.
“It was an amazing opportunity, regardless of whether I won or not, so I gave it a shot.
“My mother’s one motto is to rather try something to be certain, rather than fear and regret what might’ve been. I would probably not even have entered without her support.”
Sara’s mentor, Tynika Carter, said that apart from the main message of her essay, she feels that young readers can be inspired by Sara’s talent because she raised important points.
“I am so incredibly proud of Sara and her ability to understand the topic. She was enthusiastic about the topic of feminism and wrote argumentative essays from the start. I believe this enthusiasm and passion played a key role in her success in creating such a beautiful piece of writing.
“In today’s world, where we have more freedom to speak our truth, Sara was able to talk about women’s empowerment and bring this into light by talking about the core values and goals.
“It is important for young people to understand that women’s empowerment needs to be approached better and it is important to discuss different viewpoints on these topics so that we can begin to understand our world and the key role-players more.
“I hope Sara’s achievement can show other young readers no matter their age, they are all capable of achieving anything if they are passionate and put their mind to it,” said Carter.
Sara’s essay qualified her for the global finals. The top eight submissions, of the final 50, will be recognised on Wednesday.