Two MInuteman students honored in annual competition hosted by Middlesex Partnerships for Youth and Middlesex D. A.'s Office

By Judy Bass

Two students from Minuteman High School in Lexington have earned awards for posters they created for an annual public service announcement and poster competition sponsored by the Middlesex Partnerships for Youth and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. This year’s theme was “Challenge Yourself – Be Resilient.”

Melanie Hennessey, a junior from Dover, was the Overall Winner for her poster, “Smooth Seas.” John “Jack” Ross, a junior from Arlington, earned an Honorable Mention for his poster, “New Heights.” Both students are in the Design and Visual Communications program at Minuteman, said their teacher, Maria Galante.

Students who entered the competition were asked to create posters conveying a message to teens about the importance of being resilient, a quality that can help them cope with setbacks, motivate them to seek out challenging new experiences, and become productive, healthy adults.

More than 100 entries were submitted by middle- and high school students in Middlesex County, according to information from Stephanie Guyotte, Director of Programs and Outreach for the Middlesex Partnerships for Youth. The judges included staff from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, police officers, educators, and school administrators, Ms. Guyotte added.

She also noted that “students will be honored later this month at a ceremony with Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. The winning poster will be printed and distributed to Middlesex County schools. Posters will also be shared on the Middlesex Partnerships for Youth website.”

The Middlesex Partnerships for Youth brings together various individuals and organizations dedicated to improving, enhancing and safeguarding the well-being of young people throughout Middlesex County.

Both Minuteman students were pleased to have their work recognized. Ms. Hennessey said, “My process was really just using an inspirational quote and building my poster around it. Once I had my quote and I could see it in my head, it was simple. In hindsight, there's a lot of things I'd do differently but I'm ecstatic that my poster won.”

Mr. Ross described his poster, “New Heights,” as follows: “It represents challenge and resilience through a man climbing up a very large, steep cliff. The poster implies that challenging tasks build up strength and courage, thus bringing you to ‘new heights.’”

Minuteman was established in the 1970s as one of more than two dozen regional-vocational technical high schools in Massachusetts. Over the years, the school has distinguished itself by building a reputation for excellence. Minuteman students consistently excel on the larger stage and have won numerous awards at state and national competitions. Minuteman challenges all students to revolutionize their high school expectations by aspiring to their full potential, accelerating their learning, and achieving success in the 21st-century global community.

Minuteman recently secured state and local funding to build a new $144.9 million school, including 16 career and technical programs in two Career Academies. Groundbreaking is expected to occur this spring, with the new school being open to students in the fall of 2019.