Grand Rapids — Two Union High School juniors were recently selected as this year’s winners of the Impact Award from the Women’s City Club.
Nebyat Gebrehiwot and Dilanny Perez received the award for their winning responses to a prompt that asked them to describe someone who’s been an inspiration, according to a release from the club.
Dilanny wrote an essay about U.S. Army Lt. William D. Swenson, a Medal of Honor recipient she learned about in her ROTC class.
“It was kind of obvious I was going to write about that person because they show their values,” Dilanny said. “And the trials he went through and how he kept his values along the way.”
Nebyat’s entry went beyond just one individual source of inspiration, focusing instead on the culture of her home country of Eritrea in Northeast Africa. Her painting depicts a solitary woman in colorful Eritrean garb.
“I did it because my mom told me that everyone has to know I’m from Eritrea, because they think I’m from Ethiopia and other countries,” Nebyat said. “So she told me to do Eritrean culture to let people know the culture is different from others.”
Women’s City Club President Wendy Sturm surprised the students at school to let them know they’d won. The two juniors each received a $750 cash prize during a luncheon at Mayflower Congregational Church.
The Women’s City Club, now celebrating its 100-year anniversary, works to promote educational, civic and social activities through study, community service and friendly associations. The club has granted the Impact Award to Union High students since 2018.
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