(PLAINVIEW and JERICHO, N.Y.) - Nassau County Legislator Arnold W. Drucker (D - Plainview) congratulated the winners of the Third Annual Judy Jacobs Essay Contest during a special ceremony at the Jericho Public Library on Thursday, April 14.
Legislator Drucker awarded Nassau County Legislature Citations to contest winners Chrystal Zhou and Emilee Youn from the Robert Seaman Jeffrey Ratner Elementary School in Jericho (Toni-Marie Ukar’s fifth-grade class); Dhruv Maniam from George A. Jackson Elementary School in Jericho (Andrea Aldorasi’s fifth-grade class) and Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School student Ada Balkas. Ratner Elementary student Ari Yakuel earned a Certificate of Recognition from Legislator Drucker for his submission, which was chosen as an honorable mention.
Open to fifth- through eighth-grade students the 16th Legislative District, the contest was held in honor of Women’s History Month and in recognition of the late Nassau County Legislator and former Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs. In accordance with this year’s theme of “Kindness is Leadership,” students described what it means to harness kindness as a principle of leadership and selected a person in their lives who they felt was the representation of a kind leader.
Winners were selected from dozens of entries by Judy’s daughters, Jackie Jacobs Herschander and Linda Jacobs-Geller.
“As we considered topics for our essay contest, the events of the last several years weighed pretty heavily on our minds and our hearts,” Legislator Drucker said. “We reflected upon the amazing contributions women made each day to get us through the pandemic; to strengthen our communities, and to lead our nation at every level of government and the judiciary. We also witnessed the importance of kindness in leadership - something that Judy Jacobs embodied throughout her lifetime. That is why it was such a pleasure to congratulate the winners of this year’s contest for their heartfelt entries on such an important, thought-provoking topic.”
PHOTO CAPTIONS - Image names correspond with each respective recipient
PHOTO CREDITS - Office of Legislator Arnold W. Drucker
