Congratulations to Mary Kate Donahue, who was awarded first place in the 2013-14 Southern New Jersey Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge.

Her winning masterpiece, “If No One Was Different,” embodies the purpose of the challenge: promoting tolerance and communicating a message of equality among all citizens, regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender or sexual orientation. 

The finished product was a story that imagines life without variety, arriving at the conclusion that “you are you” for a reason. For her efforts, Donahue received a $5,000 college scholarship and held her first official book signing at the Stockton College Kramer Hall Art Gallery.

Here is a gallery of photos from the awards ceremony: