Fairfield’s Senator Tony Hwang Celebrates Middle School Honorees in Women’s History Month Essay Contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2024

Media Contact:
Joe Canino
860-294-6918
[email protected]

Fairfield’s Senator Tony Hwang Celebrates Middle School Honorees in Women’s History Month Essay Contest

FAIRFIELD – On Saturday, March 16th at the Fairfield Museum and History Center, Senator Tony Hwang awarded six seventh graders from Fairfield for their thoughtful and excellent submissions to the Women’s History Month Essay Contest that he chaired. The students wrote about a notable Connecticut woman, detailing her life and accomplishments, and what those contributions mean to them and their community. The students wrote about Connecticut icons like PGA Pro Suzy Whaley, philanthropist Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt, suffragist Frances Ellen Burr, and more. Senator Hwang applauded their work, shedding light on the groundbreaking achievements of these inspirational women.

“Women’s History Month is about acknowledging the integral, historic role of women shaping this great state. This was a wonderful opportunity for these children to learn about the incredible accomplishments of Connecticut women. I am so proud of their hard work on these essays and happy to be a part of this learning experience. “ Said Senator Tony Hwang. “But it doesn’t stop there. We must also recognize the important women who are heroes in each household. Mothers, grandmothers, caregivers, and siblings across the state deserve praise for the integral roles they play in our society.”

“I think Tony really hits the nail on the head when we talk about women’s history. We talk about women’s history because women over time often weren’t spoken about: their contributions, what they did, and what they could achieve. On behalf of the board of directors and staff of the Fairfield Museum and History Center, I wanted to offer a welcome and congratulations to all the individuals being honored here today.” Walter Matis, Program & Volunteer Coordinator of the Fairfield Museum and History Center

“On behalf of the Fairfield Public Schools, in particular Roger Ludlowe Middle School and Mr. Formato of Tomlinson Middle School, I’d like to thank everyone for being here. Parents – bravo and good work, but most importantly, students, thank you for your passion for writing, thank you for your passion for reading. We are so very proud of the work that you do, and we are really excited that you entered this contest and that you are celebrated here today.” Said Megan Tiley, Principal of Roger Ludlowe Middle School

“Being here today to celebrate the accomplishments of women is exciting, but also, we are recognizing the importance of looking at our history. Congratulations everyone, I am so honored to be with you.” Said Christine Vitale, Fairfield Selectwoman

“Suzy Whaley’s accomplishments and contributions mean a lot to me. She has proven to me that you can succeed despite your gender or any other feature that you believe is holding you back.” Kelly Knapp, 7th Grader at Roger Ludlowe Middle School (1st place – RLMS)

“I wrote an essay about Frances Ellen Burr. She was really important in our history as she encouraged other people to fight for their vote, and a woman’s right to vote is really important as we should be treated equally, and everyone should get a part in it.” Said Hansini Tadapaneni RLMS Runner Up.

List of Awardees:

Roger Ludlowe Middle School

Kelly Knapp, Suzy Whaley – 1st Place

Ruby Hourihan, Frances Ellen Burr – Runner-up

Nathan Johnson, Mary Hall – Runner-up

Hansini Tadapaneni, Frances Ellen Burr – Runner-up

Tomlinson Middle School

Sophie Denniston, Turning Tragedy into Charity: Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt – 1st Place

Jane Glover, Helen Keller: An Honorable Woman in Connecticut History – Runner-up