Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Senator Murphy Honors New Canaan Country School Student for MLK Essay
New Canaan Country School sixth grade student Cameron Ableman’s essay was among the 15 winning essays selected by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy in his sixth annual "Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay Challenge."
“I was particularly inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.’s resilience in the face of so many hardships and people who didn't believe in him or what he was fighting for,” said Cameron, a resident of Rowayton. “The idea of pushing through tough times and sticking with it until you make it right is something that I can really relate to.”
Her essay, which may be read in full here, was chosen from a total of 2,200 entries submitted by elementary, middle, and high school students from across Connecticut reflecting on Dr. King’s dream and their own aspirations. An excerpt:
“When I grow up I want to be able to help people, just like him. I want to speak out against what’s wrong, and not just accept defeat. I want to keep fighting for what is right and never give up. This is one of the many reasons why I admire Dr. King so much, he never stopped believing in what is right and he never gave up. I think that we should aspire to be a little more like Dr. King, meaning that we should all always believe in what we want to and in ourselves. When I grow up, no matter how close or far away that might be, I want to fight. I want to fight for beliefs instead of prejudices, I want to fight for what is right for my country and the world I know could exist if everybody could believe and I hope that with enough courage and strong compassionate voices/words we will get there. And when I say fight I mean with our voices making the others weak not with our fists but with our words. After all, many do say that, “ Pens cut harder than swords”. And we will share what they have tried so hard to silence but we will fight back for a world where everyone is equal as our own Pledge of Allegiance says, “ Liberty and Justice for All.”
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
