Deer Park Student Scores 2nd Place In Stony Brook Essay Contest

DEER PARK, NY — A Deer Park High School student is being recognized for his writing accomplishments.

Mohammad Fahad recently won second place in the Japan Center of Stony Brook University’s 17th annual essay competition, the district announced on Wednesday.

“I'm really happy about letting my story be known,” Fahad said. “Many people may experience what I've experienced and come through in the end being better.”

The purpose of the JCSB essay contest is to give students with the opportunity to think creatively and critically about their lives by relating them to some aspect of Japan — such as art, culture, tradition, values, philosophy, history, society, politics, business or technology, and to help them broaden their horizons and develop global citizenship.

Mohammad’s entry, “Cabinet of Porcelain,” juxtaposed the Imari style of Japanese porcelain with his own life experiences and those of his mother, an immigrant from Bangladesh.

“Never before had I worked with a student who could manipulate semantics to his will to convey his story. Mo possesses the rare and unique ability to generate such emotion from his written words, and elicit genuine empathy through his prose, which allows his message to emanate into the hearts and souls of his readers," teacher Michael Chin said. "Clearly, he was able to inspire the judges in the same manner he inspires us daily.”