Congratulations to Monica Keszler, who was awarded first place in the 2013-14 Delmarva Peninsula Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge.

Her winning entry, “Kira Kiwi, How Will School Be?” embodies the purpose of the challenge: promoting tolerance and articulating a message of equality among all citizens, regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender or sexual orientation. 

The finished product was a tale of overcoming anxiety and the unknown, arriving at the conclusion that diversity should be celebrated so that everyone can realize his or her own strengths. For her efforts, Keszler received a $5,000 college scholarship and held her first official book signing at the Delmarva Power Conference Center.

Here is a gallery of photos from the awards ceremony: