WAILUKU - A Makawao Elementary School 4th-grader captured first place at the state and Maui levels of the 11th annual "Character Counts" essay and art contest.
Jaimelee Felipe, whose teacher is Charlie Grzanka, received a $100 check for winning at the state level and $75 for the Maui level.
The other Maui-level winners, both 4th-graders, were Sterling Sandler of Carden Academy, who finished second, receiving a $50 check; and Jericho Lara, of Makawao Elementary, who took third and got a $25 check.
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Jaimelee Felipe (right) captured first place at both the Maui and state levels of the “Character Counts” essay and art contest. Finishing behind her in the Maui-level contest were Sterling Sandler (left), second; and Jericho Lara, third.
Their teachers were Barbara Rudow and Theresa Thompson, respectively.
The students received their awards April 16 at an event at the University of Hawaii Maui College. There were a total of 58 entries from Makawao, Carden and Emmanuel Lutheran schools.
The contest was a national literacy program of the Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics. On Maui, the contest is sponsored by the Maui Association for Family & Community Education.
The theme for this year's contest was "caring," one of the center's pillars of character. The others are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness and citizenship.
