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December 3, 2008
Student Amanda DiLodovico ’11 Wins, Alumna Deborah Soule ’03 Finalist in Gotham Gazette Essay Contest
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CONTACT:
Abigail Talcott, manager of external affairs, atalcott@mmm.edu, (212) 517-0461
(New York, NY) Amanda DiLodovico ’11 is the winner of The Gotham Gazette’s essay contest for her piece: “Educating Children with Special Needs.” Deborah Soule ’03, a graduate of the Bedford Hills College Program, was selected as a finalist in the contest for her essay: “Beyond the Rhetoric of Change.” Amanda and Deborah are two members of the Marymount Manhattan community and were two of five finalists in the essay contest themed around “How the 2008 Elections Affect You?” Amanda’s essay was selected as the best of the finalists by readers who voted on The Gotham Gazette Web site.
Amanda DiLodovico ’11
Based on the struggles of her younger brother who has Aspergers, Amanda conveys the importance of funding education for special needs children, supporting families with special needs children and assuring that special education teachers and administrators are well-trained and engaged in their work. Amanda ties in her personal experience of witnessing the obstacles her brother faces to the rights, happiness and fulfillment deserved by all who have special needs. “I look forward to a future where children with and without special needs are awarded the same opportunities to succeed in life,” says Amanda in her essay. Click here to read Amanda’s essay in full.
Deborah’s essay explores the concept of change and the impact of the Republican and Democratic ticket including a woman and an African-American. Deborah maintains her own hope for change, despite not being about to fully participate in the election due to incarceration: “…though I am separated from many distractions, this election with all of its unique nuances, is bittersweet. To witness history, but not actually be a factor in the election process, is personally confounding.” Click here to read Deborah’s essay in full.
Michael Cohen of the College of Staten Island and Lindsay Allen and Ewa Bialobrezeskia of Brooklyn College were also selected as finalists for their essays. Cohen wrote “What the Candidates Can’t Do,” Allen wrote “Sad Times Call for a Bit of Optimism,” and Bialobrezeskia wrote “The Fading of the American Dream.
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