GCS Student Recognized for National PTA Reflections Award

Mackenzie Brown received Award of Merit for her literature piece

Contact: Laurie Hogan (336) 370-8307
Created: 7/29/2010 8:48:49 PM

Mackenzie Brown, rising sixth-grader at Brown Summit Middle, recently received a national Award of Merit from the National PTA Reflections Program.

Brown advanced to the national competition after placing first in the state, regional and county PTA Reflections competitions for her literature piece on the topic “Beauty Is…” This was the second year she entered the PTA Reflections competition. Last year, she received an honorable mention in the county-wide competition.

“I really only spent a few hours on that piece last year,” Brown said. “My parents told me, ‘Imagine what you could do if you would invest more time in your entry next year.’ ”

She carried a notebook with her for several weeks to jot down ideas about what beauty means to her to write, “Sometimes Beauty Sneaks Up on You.”

The PTA Reflections Program is an arts recognition and achievement event, which provides opportunities for students to express themselves creatively and to receive positive recognition for original works. Students are encouraged to create and submit works of art in the areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography and the visual arts.

Several GCS students placed in the top three in the state including Toby Ng of Page High, who placed second in music composition, and Hannah Chong of Ragsdale High, who placed second in visual arts. Michaela Stutts of Claxton Elementary placed third in photography.

In her piece, Brown says, “To many people beauty is what’s on the outside, but I’ve found beauty really has more to do with what’s on the inside. You can find beauty in the smallest things that most people overlook or don’t have time to appreciate. Sometimes beauty sneaks up on you when you’re least expecting it. Sometimes you don’t realize something is beautiful until you think about it later.”

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Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 71,000 students at 121 schools. With approximately 10,000 employees, the district’s mission is to graduate responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice. 

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship.  For more information, visit the district’s website at www.gcsnc.com.