Sponsored by Beyond the Bubble and the Grier Writing Center, the Breaking Barriers Writing Contest occurred at the end of March. The writing prompt asked students to tell about a woman of color who had inspired them and discuss the barriers that this individual broke as well as how that inspired the student. Students had the option to write an essay, a personal memoir, or a poem. The applicants’ writing was judged by Dr. Kaela Fuentes–Packnick, the Assistant Director of Alumni Relations for Penn State’s College of Education; local historian Harriet Gaston, the founder of African American Heritage Project of Blair County; and Natalie Ondrey, the well-loved 10th grade English teacher at Grier. The prize was a certificate, a $25 voucher to the Grier Store, and a gift basket valued at $75. Congratulations to senior Sara Vélez Patiño for winning with her essay “The Light That Never Dims” about Luz Dary Viafara!
Here’s Sara’s winning essay:
Diane McCloskey • Apr 23, 2025 at 11:43 am
I also thoroughly enjoyed this very well-written article. Outstanding content and sensitivity to social justice complexities in the indigenous community are not often written about, less understood and a huge part of being American.