West Hartford state Reps. Jillian Gilchrest, Tammy Exum, and Kate Farrar presented winners of the Women’s History Month Essay Contest with citations and prizes at during Monday’s Rotary Club meeting.

Submitted

On Monday, April 18, state Reps. Jillian Gilchrest (D-West Hartford), Tammy Exum(D-West Hartford, Avon, Farmington), and Kate Farrar(D-West Hartford), members of West Hartford’s first all-women delegation to the state House of Representatives, recognized the winners of the delegation’s Women’s History Month Essay contest at the Pond House Café in Elizabeth Park in West Hartford.

Annie Lopez-Lopez won from Conard High School and Amithi Nair won from Hall High School. The delegation presented the winners with citations as well as $500 each from an anonymous donor.

The contest was open to students at Hall High School and Conard High School. Participating students answered one of the two essay prompts:

• Who is the most influential woman in your life today and why?
• Who is your favorite woman in history and why?

The delegation received over 30 essay submissions and selected one winner from each school.

Lopez-Lopez’s essay focused on her experiences as a first-generation Hispanic woman and the lessons she has learned about independence, perseverance, and how she can create change through STEM education.

Nair wrote about Juana Inés de la Crus, a 17th century Mexican writer, philosopher, poet, and composer whose legacy remains important today.

“I am so grateful to the students who participated in our Women’s History Month essay contest to reflect on the courage of women throughout history and to celebrate how their contributions helped pave the way for future generations. It is wonderful to hear about the women who are inspiring our young people to break through barriers,” said Gilchrest.  

“Congratulations to everyone who submitted entries. It was inspiring to read about the many women who have impacted so many of our young women’s lives,” Exum said. “Congratulations to the winners, Annie and Amithi. There were more than 30 entries and theirs came out on top. I would like to thank them and all the participants for their contributions in recognizing and celebrating women.”

“Women’s History Month offers us the opportunity to recognize and reflect on women’s contributions – especially women of color – and build a more inclusive perspective of our shared history,” said Farrar. “It was inspiring to read all of the submissions and learn more about the women who are influencing our young leaders.”

Women’s History Month celebrates women’s contributions to history, culture, and society. It has been observed in the United States annually during the month of March since 1987.

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