Brooklyn H.S. student takes third place in Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest
Gabriel Fontana, the third-place winner of Cablevision’s Power to Learn fourth annual Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest, was recognized this week at Brooklyn College Academy High School by New York State Senator Kevin Parker and Cablevision representatives. At the awards ceremony, the twelfth-grader read his winning essay and was awarded a netbook.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Cablevision’s Power to Learn and Olympusat, Inc. sponsored the essay contest for students in grades six through 12. Students were required to submit an original essay that answered, in 500 words or less, “How do you identify culturally with other Latinos or with the Latino community and what makes you different or unique?” or “What do the terms Hispanic and Latino mean to you?” Prizes included a $5,000 savings bond, an Apple iPad™, a laptop computer and a netbook.
"First, I'd like to congratulate Gabriel on his terrific essay," Senator Parker said. “I’d also like to commend Cablevision for providing this opportunity to students to celebrate the rich heritage of Hispanic Americans and help them realize the many contributions made by Hispanics throughout history. Programs such as this enable young people to embrace the future through a better understanding of their heritage.”