Mother's Day essay contest winners announced
Moms are very important as evidenced by the 61 essays entered into The Holton Recorder’s ninth annual Mother’s Day essay contest. This year’s theme was “My Mother Is Amazing Because…”
Students at Holton, Jackson Heights and Royal Valley schools submitted essays, and a top winner was selected from three age divisions - high school (9-12), middle school (5-8) and grade school (K-4).
Shanelle Lundin, 17, a junior at Royal Valley High School, took first place in the high school division with her essay about her mother, Tammy.
Mallori Mulroy, 11, a fifth-grade student at Jackson Heights, wrote the winning essay in the middle school division with a tribute to her mother, Janice.
In the elementary school division, Reece Burns, 9, a third-grade student at Holton, took first place with his essay about his mother, Darcy Olson.
Holton Pizza Hut is providing a free medium size, two-topping pizza to each of the winning essay authors and their mothers.
Honorable mention winners include Abby Miller (third grade), Lexie Larson (third grade), Noah Bartel (third grade), Makenna Rieschick (fifth grade) and Frank Mock (fifth grade).
The students’ essays are listed below.
The essays produced a variety of compliments for area mothers, including:
* Her casserole is amazing. Her soup is awesome. Her pizza is epic. – Andy Kimberlin, age 8.
* She is a great singer and rider and she is magnificent at arm wrestling and amazing at making jokes. She is very good at haircuts. – Josh Smith, age 9.
* She deals with my sass. – Rylie Nichols, age 10.
* I am her third child so she knows how to take good care of me. – Zoey Tinney, age 9.
* Whenever I am down in the dumps, she will cheer me up. – Riley Smith, age 9.
* She is so supportive and incredible. My mom is very funny. She is also very smart like me. I probably get it from her. – Presley Rake, age 9.
* My mother is the finest lady! – Emily Horr, age 8.
* My mother is awesome because usually when I ask for something nicely, 75 percent of the time she’ll get it for me. – Michael Cornelison, age 10.
* My mom is not like your mom because she trusts me. One, I don’t lie. Two, I act good. Three, I use my puppy eyes. – Cooper Wheeler, age 9.
* She is the most wonderful lady in the town. – Kolby Rhodd, age 8.
* I think my mom is nice and special because she hugs me a lot. She also bakes a lot of different sweet treats. She owns a coffee shop where I (and you) can relax. – Luke Lassey, age 8.
* She can make any bad meal delicious. – Heather Mandala, age 10.
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Elementary School
By Reece Burns
(Mother: Darcy Olson)
My mom is wonderful because she is very nice to me and she makes good food. I like it when she takes me to the library. I think my mom is the best mom ever. She is never mean to me. And she is really caring. I really like it more when she plays catch with me. I also like the way she smelles so good she smelles like flowers. I also like it when we work in the garden. I also like it when she goes to the gym with me and we play basketball. I also like it when we go to the coffee shop. And I like it that she makes time to spend with me. I also like that she gets me stuff.
Age 9, third grade
Netawaka
Middle School
By Mallori Mulroy
(Mother: Janice Mulroy)
My mom always cooks and cleans for the whole family and never complains. Also, when we have family gatherings, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, she is always volunteering to host these events. When she hosts, she doesn’t just let the family come and have them bring the food, she bakes the main course, side dishes, and the dessert.
She always does whatever needs to be done even if it’s just the littlest detail like a small smudge on the mirror so that everything is the best it can be. She’s always taking that extra step and going above and beyond what we expect!
She supports our family in all ways possible. Whether she’s buying groceries or cheering us on from the bleachers at the softball field. If you ask her, you can never cheer too loudly, even if it’s accidentally for the wrong team! If anything went wrong, she was right by our side to make sure it was corrected. For our state assessments or any test we have, she is helping us study and be prepared. As well as telling us we can do it if we just relax and take our time.
Monday through Thursday she is at school teaching 3-5 year old preschoolers what they need to know to be able to process through their life in school and outside of school. I can tell you; this isn’t the easiest job you can get. Having about 27 kids to take care of is pretty outstanding that one lady can handle them with some help from a few paras who come every so often during the day. She spends her own money for these kids so that their experience at school is the best it can be. Her students aren’t just treated as the kids in her class; she treats them as her own and pours her love out on them.
For our birthday parties, she buys what we say we HAVE TO HAVE even if it’s not that important. If anyone there doesn’t feel comfortable, she helps them come in and join with us even their start is a little rough. She’s the kind of mom that makes sure everyone is involved and hangs out with each other, even if we aren’t the best of friends. Even if you tell her that they aren’t exactly one of your friends, she says, “We can change that pretty easily,” with a smirk on her face.
Most moms aren’t up for running their kids everywhere so they can do just what they want to. She runs us to dance practice, dance recitals, competitions, basketball practice and games, softball practice, and tournaments that are almost every weekend. If we have a free weekend, we feel like we’re forgetting something. At all these events she is encouraging us to do our best.
She is so amazing, and I wouldn’t want anybody else to be my mom. I don’t think that anyone could take care of 3 very active kids.
Age 11, fifth grade
High School
By Shanelle Lundin
(Mother: Tammy Lundin)
Tammy Lundin – this name to many people means nothing; it may not even ring a bell. That name to me makes my world go round. It is the name of my devoted and loving mother.
It all started before I was born. You see, my mother did not carry me herself. She had cancer before she met my father, and she could not bear anymore children although before it all happened she did manage to have three beautiful girls.
My soon-to-be parents were going through classes to become foster parents. Then someone came to them and told them about me; my birth mother was too young to take care of me and wanted me in a better environment. Everyone made an agreement and it was set; I was to go home with new parents. Tammy took my birth-mother to her doctor appointments and everything.
Then the day came; it was time to meet me! That day I was signed over to my new family which included three older sisters (the youngest one being nine years older than me). Since the day I came home, my mother has done nothing but been by my side. When people ask me who my best friend is the only person that comes to mind is my mom.
We do not always see eye to eye. We argue but what parent/child relationship doesn’t. That does not change the fact that she is there for me when I need her. Being the baby of the family I was spoiled, but I was taught to have a good work ethic from watching her.
My mother has been through so much in her life and instead of letting it get her down, she uses it to teach all of my siblings and me. Even when she didn’t have a lot of money at times, she still managed to get us what we asked for.
Many kids are attached to their parents because of the materialistic things; this generation needs to learn that it isn’t all about the newest phone or coolest clothes. It is all about the connections you make with people, especially your parents. They will be the ones there when you need someone the most.
Many kids have lost a good relationship with their parents and would be lying if they say they didn’t want it back. I don’t know what I would do without my mom; she is my rock. She has gotten me through so much and has helped me make something out of my life. I may give her attitude sometimes, but there isn’t another person I would rather take on this crazy, messy ride we call life.
“Tammy Lundin” may have no meaning to you, but she was the best gift I have ever received.
Age 17, 11th grade, Hoyt
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Honorable Mention
By Abby Miller
(Mother: Shawna Miller)
I am telling you details about my mom and how she is awesome and amazing she is! What I like about my mom is that she trusts me. My mom trusts me to go get something for her without getting in trouble by myself. My mom trusts me to go to my friends without getting in trouble. My mom trusts me to help her out with work.
My mom is amazing because she helps people. She has done a lot of work to help out people. My mom saves people from danger. My mom has done a lot of stuff to help families and other people.
My mom loves me and this is how I know. My mom cooks food for me to be healthy. My mom takes care of me when I’m sick cause she loves me. My mom loves me how she hugs me.
My mom is cool, awesome, amazing, pretty, funny, and my mom is amazing!!!!!!!!!!
Age 9, Third Grade
Holton
By Lexie Larson
(Mother: Addie Larson)
My mom is the best mom ever! She is a very great person! She is also very important to our family!
I love my mom cause she makes me feel better when I am sad. I also love her cause at night she gives me a hug. I also love her cause even when she gets mad she still loves me. I love my mom!
My mom is the best cause she gives us toys to play with and she gives us candy and pop. She also gives us shelter, food, clothes, and a bed.
She takes care of me my brother and sister. My dog and two calves. She has a lot on her hands. She does a great job though and handles it pretty well and stays organized.
My mom works at Colorado, Central, high, and middle school. She is a great school sycologest! She does her job very well. She is very good with kids. She is awesome!
She is always very pretty all the time! She wears very nice clothes! She spends time with me. She is the coolest most best mom in the whole world! I love her to the moon and back! She is the best!
Age 9, Holton
By Noah Bartel
(Mother: Sheri Bartel)
When you read this paragraph about my Mom, you will experience how amazing she is.
She cooks amazing foods and a lot of them are homemade and are very healthy. I think she is a very good cook. She is an amazing singer and has an amazing pitch. I know that she is the best singer in the whole, wide, world. She also gets the songs stuck in her head and sings them. For me that’s good because I love her singing. She is good at paying attention to me when I ask questions and doesn’t say no to everything but she also doesn’t say yes to everything. I think she is the best Mom in the world.
Age 9, Third Grade
Holton
By Makenna Rieschick
(Mother: Christy Rieschick)
My mom is amazing because she is the glue to our family. I think that my mom should deserve more than a holiday and presents. If my mom wasn’t here I would be a mess. I would never keep track of things and I wouldn’t remember to get my school work done. She also is the one who cooks and cleans in our house, picks out my clothes, gets me to bed on time, and makes sure that I take care of myself. If she wasn’t here we would be hoarders. If someone walked in my room, if my mom wasn’t home, it would look like a tornado just hit.
For all of the parties and going to sleepovers or even to my grandmas I would probably forget, if I didn’t have my mom. Everybody would lose their minds. I would probably be wearing the same thing the whole week. Some people say that it would be nice without their parents. For the people who say that they probably haven’t thought it through. Some moms might be a safety freak like mine that’s just because they don’t want you to get hurt. You need your mom for support. Sometimes they embarrass you trust me I know but that are what moms are. I don’t know about you but if my mom wasn’t here we would probably burn rice (AGAIN)!
You know when you’re walking down the aisle in the grocery and your mom sees someone from your class and she says “Is that someone from your class”? You’ll say “yeah, but we don’t really talk.” She says, “Ok so here’s the plan. We walk pass them and say hi then walk away cool.” When you get off the phone and say, “Bye I love you mom,” she asks, “Am I your favorite?” Well what do you think?
My mom is the one who pays for our vacations, takes me to my dance competition, and my friend’s houses. Some days when she cooks instead of just cooking something she’ll ask me so she doesn’t make something I don’t like. My mom is very sensitive and maybe sometimes a little dramatic. Before I go to bed and before she goes to bed she can’t go to bed without saying goodnight.
When I was very little I would get scared of the storms and we live in Kansas so storms are pretty common even in the spring. So every time there was a storm my mom would let me sleep with her. She would make me feel better by calling me her little cuddle buddy. When we have company, over especially family members, she lets me stay up later than usual. On some days when I have bad days my mom will take me to go and get some ice cream and makes me feel better.
My mom is the best mom in the world. I’ll love her forever.
Age 10, Fifth Grade
Holton
By Frank Mock
(Mother: Kiri Mock)
My mom is the one who puts a roof over my head and feeds me, celebrates my birthdays, gets me through hard times, like school homework and sports. She is the best mom I have ever had. When she adopted me, she and I both had a huge smile on our faces. It was one of the best days of my life. And, I am just so lucky to call her my mother. The best thing about her is she never lets me give up. She pushes and pushes me to learn and try hard in everything that I do.
When I am struggling, she is always there to help me and to encourage me. She said that I can learn from my mistakes. When I am hurt or mad, she will talk to me and try to calm me down. One time my dad, brothers, and I were picking up trash from the yard, while my mom was at my sister’s softball practice. Well, I fell off the gator and I got my arm ran over. Instead of getting mad at me, she immediately asked if I was okay. She also takes my siblings and I on fun adventures, like on spring vacation she took us to the zoo in Omaha. We stayed the night at our uncle’s house and watched movies all night. As you can tell, we always have so much fun with my mom.
I love my mom more than anything and really believe that she is the most amazing mother ever.
Age 11, Fifth Grade
Holton
