The lawyers and judges of the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, through the Middle District Bench Bar Fund, and the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association invited high school students in the Tampa Bay area to participate in an essay contest celebrating Constitution Week. Participating students, their teachers, and schools had a chance to win cash prizes.
Many Shorecrest Upper School teachers shared the contest information with their students, and history teacher Mark Brown suggested to Story Pennock ‘24 that she enter.
Over 500 students submitted essays for the contest and Pennock was one of only 10 winners chosen! The prompt for the essay challenged students to choose one of the 27 Amendments to the United States Constitution and, using relevant external sources, explain how that Amendment promotes the goals the framers articulated in the preamble. Pennock chose to write her essay on the First Amendment.
Upper School English Teacher Kristie Dowling was proud to join Story Pennock ‘24 and her family at the Recognition Ceremony at the Sam M. Gibbons Federal Courthouse in Downtown Tampa (pictured). Story won a grant for the school and a $250 prize for herself!
