Our Students Were Superstars at the Laws of Life Banquet

One of my favorite recognition programs near the end of the school year is the Laws of Life Banquet that honors the writing and presentation skills of students from fourth grade to seniors in high school. The topics are character traits including citizenship, cooperation, courage, fairness, honesty, kindness, patriotism, perseverance, respect, responsibility, self-control and tolerance. 

According to Mikie Stroh, District Coordinator for Social Studies, this year’s annual contest was the 26th, with a hiatus last year during the Covid restrictions. The Laws of Life Essay/Speech Contest is sponsored by the City of Naples, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Collier County Public Schools, Rotary Club of Naples and Southwest Florida 49’ers. 

This year, the distinguished blue-ribbon panel of speech judges read 3,700 essays and had the challenge of narrowing the semi-finalist list of 40 students. These forty semi-finalists presented their papers orally to the judges and four finalists in each division were selected. The four divisions include the Elementary Division Grades four and five, Middle School Division Grades six through eight, High School Grades nine and 10 Division and an 11-12 Grade Division. 

The students chose and wrote an essay about a character trait that had special significance to them, each one as varied as grains of sand. Some were humorous, some enlightening, some poignant, but all painfully real as the heart-felt words were put to paper and each finalist’s story was shared with the audience after a lovely buffet dinner at the Naples Hilton.

You could sense the anticipation from the audience; plates cleared, chairs pulled closer to the tables and the Laws of Life programs were centered before each teacher, judge, family member, student or special guest to reference. We were enthralled as the four finalists in each grade level were read, starting with the fourth place, third, second and then the first-place student was announced. Luckily for the attendees, each of the four finalists’ essays were included in the program and wow, did they pack a punch. The finalist in each grade level read or memorized and performed his/her selection of the Character Trait they chose as the most meaningful.

Three of our local schools had four students who placed in the final four! This makes the event even more exciting for me since I am privileged to know their teachers and how dedicated and professional they are. I want to highlight our local teachers along with their Laws of Life finalists.

Tommie Barfield Elementary School – Colin Hinton, second place in the Grade four to five Division, Teacher- Mrs. Mabel Pena

Lely High School – Cayley McCloskey, fourth place in the High School Grades 11 to 12 Division, Teacher – Mr. Chris Strathman

Marco Island Academy – Haylen Irvan, second place in the High School Grades 11 to 12 Division, Teacher – Mr. Keith Scalia

Marco Island Academy – Kathryn Barry, first place in the High School Grades 11 to 12 Division – Teacher, Mr. Keith Scalia

When I asked Mr. Scalia what magic he created to have the top two Laws of Life finalists, he said, “I just set the stage and they continue to rise above the expectations.” 

What an incredibly humble statement. I noted the pride in his eyes for his students.

Kathryn Barry, as a finalist, was able to deliver her speech and captivated the audience with both her wit and wisdom and her seemingly unsolvable medical mystery. Persistence and research by her mother in the late-night hours paid off. As Kathryn listened, weakly, to the clicks of her mother’s keyboard and mouse, she felt it was a calming lullaby, saying, “I will figure this out…You will be okay…We will be okay…” 

Kathryn’s mother, Kim, and “her relentless drive is forever seared into my (Kathryn’s) being.” Kim found the answers she was looking for and Kathryn tells this story so others can realize that persistence pays off.

There were so many inspiring essays and presentations, but for this article I wanted to focus on our local talented students, teachers and their parents, and relatives, who in so many cases became their children’s role models for the Laws of Life Character Education Essay/Speech Contest. Congratulations to all participants, their teachers, and thanks to the judges for their dedication in reading over 3,700 essays.