IMPLEMENT LAWS OF LIFE CONTEST AT WHEELER HIGH SCHOOL

THE GEORGIA LAWS OF LIFE ESSAY CONTEST IS A CHARACTER EDUCATION AND ETHICAL LITERACY PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. WHEN A STUDENT IS CHARTING A COURSE THROUGH HIS/HER LIFE, REFLECTING ON AND WRITING ABOUT ONE'S CORE PERSONAL VALUES PROVIDES A LEVEL OF SELF-GUIDANCE THAT WILL PROVE INVALUABLE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL.

THIS WAS THE FIRST IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LAWS OF LIFE PROGRAM BY MMRC. STEPHANIE WINDHAM (CHAIR, GEORGIA ROTARY DISTRICTS CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM) EXPLAINED THE MERITS OF THE LAWS OF LIFE ESSAY CONTEST AT PETS, THEN SPOKE TO MMRC ABOUT THE CONTEST ON 7/13/2015.

THE MMRC BOARD AGREED TO FUND $500 TO ESTABLISH THE CONTEST AT WHEELER HIGH SCHOOL. A COMMITTEE CHAIR, FLOYD HALE, WAS APPOINTED. A MEETING WITH WHEELER'S PRINCIPAL AND ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CHAIR WAS ARRANGED. MANY EMAILS WERE EXCHANGED, AND THE LAWS OF LIFE PAPERWORK WAS SIGNED. BOTH EDUCATORS WERE VERY OPTIMISTIC AND RIGHTFULLY SO, AND ALSO VERY ENGAGED.

TWO MMRC MEMBERS SIGNED UP TO HELP JUDGE ESSAYS FROM AROUND THE STATE. WHEELER'S ESSAYS WERE SUBMITTED FOR JUDGING IN MID-FEBRUARY, EARLIER THAN USUAL TO ALLOW THE FOUR WINNERS (A BEST ESSAY SCHOOL WINNER AND THREE RUNNERS-UP, WITH FINAL JUDGING BY A MMRC COMMITTEE) TO ATTEND A MARCH 14TH MMRC MEETING AND READ THEIR ESSAYS. THE SCHOOL WINNER RECEIVED A MEDALLION AND EACH RECEIVED A $100 HONORARIUM.

THE WHEELER HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, DR. PETER GILES, ATTENDED AND PROVIDED HIS REMARKS. WHEELER'S ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CHAIR MICHAEL WILLIAMS ALSO ATTENDED.

MMRC WAS IMPRESSED BY THESE STUDENTS, THEIR ESSAYS, AND THEIR POTENTIAL!