Eighth-Grader a Finalist in Maltz Museum Contest

Learwood Middle School eighth-grader Julia Jantz has been named one of 12 finalists in a Maltz Museum contest after penning an essay about stopping hate and discrimination in schools and neighborhoods.

The contest, which will culminate in more than $100,000 of scholarship money being handed out to high school juniors and seniors, asked students to write about whether one person can make a difference by standing up to bullying, peer pressure and intolerance.

Jantz learned firsthand the answer is “yes.”

She wrote about a situation she had do deal with in sixth grade.

“There was a girl who was always picked on,” Jantz said. “I ignored it thinking she was being picked on because it was her fault. It was just a reason for me not to help.”

One day, in music class, Jantz and a friend stepped up to partner with the girl during an assignment.

The girl thanked Jantz, telling her, “A lot of people don’t give me a chance."

“It seemed to make a positive difference in her day,” Jantz said. “If everyone just helped a little, just lent a hand, it would make a difference.”

Jantz learned she was a finalist from Learwood language arts teacher Mike Grumbos.

Being named as a finalist is impressive. This year more than 1,800 students from 126 schools shared their solutions by entering the fourth annual Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out essay contest. Their essays address a variety of issues, from cyber-bullying and homelessness to ethnic, racial and religious discrimination, and offer heartfelt and innovative solutions.

Essays are read and scored by more than 200 community volunteers.

Stacy Jantz, who read and critiqued her daughter’s essay before it was submitted, said she was floored by her daughter’s essay.

“You want your children to be empathetic toward other people,” Stacy Jantz said. “It’s an important trait I hope other people have. When she wrote the essay, it kind of blew me away. It moved me…to know that she went through this.”

Julia Jantz is the second student from Avon Lake to be named a finalist in the past two years. In 2011, Andrea Bestor, then 17, won first prize and a $50,000 scholarship after writing an essay about a classmate’s suicide.

Students compete for a total of $100,000 in scholarships and prizes. Finalists in grades 6-10 througout Cleveland will be honored along with 10 junior and senior finalists (who compete for three scholarships by giving oral presentations) at an awards ceremony on April 22 at Severance Hall.

FINALISTS

10TH GRADE

Mayam Assar, Cleveland Heights High School

Adrian Berr, Cleveland Heights High School

Corinne Sinclair, Cleveland Heights High School

9TH GRADE

Josh Chernomorets, Solon High School

Zachary Kenna, Stowe-Munroe Falls High School

Hailey Delphia LaFrance, Kenston High School, Bainbridge

8TH GRADE

Sapir Flank, Fuchs Mizrachi of Cleveland High School, Beachwood

Lucy Grierson, Rocky River Middle School

Julia Jantz, Learwood Middle School, Avon Lake

7TH GRADE

Graci Homany, Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights

Marisa Lancaster, Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights

Arjun Ramachandran, Solon Middle School

6TH GRADE

Srikar Dudipala, Copley-Fairlawn Middle School

Brian Luck, Copley-Fairlawn Middle School

Micah Stark, Copley-Fairlawn Middle School