Newark Senior Pens Award-Winner In County Writing Contest

NEWARK, NJ — A senior in Newark has penned an award-winner for an annual county writing competition.

Essex County officials recently announced a list of top entries for the 2022 Essex County Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest. They included a winner from Newark: Maryam Bey.

According to a county news release:

"Newark resident Maryam Bey wrote 'Experience is the Best Teacher,' which was selected as one of the winning stories. She writes that just because someone ages and gets older, does not mean they have to retire. Ms. Bey opened a licensed day care center when she was 24 years old and closed it 10 years later. She went to school and earned two degrees, graduating when she was 46 years old, then worked as a government aide. Currently she works with inmates who are preparing to re-enter the workforce after being released. 'Why would I retire when The Creator has blessed me with so much wisdom based on my life experiences, trauma, tragedies, successes, victories and education? … It was given to me for a reason: To inspire and encourage young people,' she writes. 'As seniors, everything we’ve been through prepared us for our purpose,' she concludes."

The Legacies Writing Contest encourages Essex senior citizens to write essays about the people and events that have influenced their lives. Overall, the county named four winners of the contest and four honorable mention recipients.

Selected as winners of the 2022 Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest were Newark resident Maryam Bey who wrote “Experience is the Best Teacher,” Livingston resident Susan Levine who wrote “Finding My Way through the Woods,” Bloomfield resident Joseph L. Mazoine who wrote “Lunch with Mrs. Roberts” and Irvington resident Ruth C. Steele who wrote “Not College Material.”

Receiving honorable mentions were Maplewood resident Marie Walton-Jackson who wrote “Reflections,” East Orange resident Carol T. Jenkins who wrote “My Little Blue Bank Book,” Nutley resident Rosemary Valese who wrote “Cabbage Patch Doll Blessings” and Bloomfield resident Dr. Paula R. Zaccone who wrote “The Medical Menace.”

“Our Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest is a unique way for our older population to share their life’s stories and describe the people and events that helped to shape their lives,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Our seniors’ stories make you laugh and they touch your heart,” he added. “They provide us with a different perspective on historical events and what our society was like.”

According to county officials:

“Sponsored by the Essex County Division of Senior Services, the Legacies Writing Contest was started in 1996 and was part of a national contest which encouraged senior citizens to discover the joys of writing while sharing their stories with others. Although the national contest was discontinued in 1998, the Essex County Division of Senior Services continued to sponsor the Legacies Writing Contest on a local level. Entries are judged on the writer’s ability to engage the reader with humor, emotional impact or rich descriptions. Winning stories were selected by a committee of volunteer judges and staff from the Essex County Division of Senior Services.”

The Essex County Division of Senior Services offers a range of services to eligible older adults, including adult protective services, provides basic transportation services, administers adult day care centers, offers counseling services for caregivers, provides home delivered meals and offers visiting nurse services. For more information, call 973-395-8375.

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