Albuquerque students recognized for senior essay contest

S. Y. Jackson Elementary School fourth grader Molly Gonzales and her grandmother Victoria Doreen Gonzales may live in different cities, but their shared love of painting, dancing and singing keep them forever linked together.

So naturally, when it came time for Gonzales to decide which senior to write an essay about for the annual “A Senior I Know” essay contest, the choice was easy.

“(My grandmother) inspires me,” Molly Gonzales said.

Molly also learned that her grandmother got married right after she graduated from high school and raised her five kids before deciding at age 45 to pursue a degree in business administration. In her essay, Molly wrote that in addition to her grandmother inspiring her art , she also taught her that no matter how busy life gets, it truly is never too late to get an education.

Molly Gonzales’ essay about her grandmother, who lives in Socorro, was one of 30 recognized on Wednesday at Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center during the “A Senior I Know” award ceremony. The essay contest invites first through fifth grade students from around Albuquerque to write an essay based on a senior citizen who has made a significant impact on them.

The subjects of the students’ essays ranged from grandparents to great-grandparents to seniors these children had befriended at school or elsewhere.

“The variety of stories we see is great because it’s not just family connections that are happening through generations,” said Anna Sanchez, director of the Department of Senior Affairs. “Students are writing about an older adult from their church or neighborhood, and that variety is so rich and diverse.”

Sanchez and city of Albuquerque first lady Elizabeth Kistin Keller were there to hand out medals and goodie bags to the winners. Students were also greeted and congratulated by players from the Duke City Gladiators professional indoor football team as well. Football has a special place in the heart of Lee Jaramillo, a Las Cruces resident whose favorite football team is the Dallas Cowboys, according to an essay by his great-granddaughter, Esther Penner.

A third grader at Montessori ONE Elementary, Penner wrote that she enjoys playing dominoes and card games with her great-grandfather and that he is one of her favorite family members to hug. When asked why she picked Jaramillo to write about, Penner kept her answer to the point: “He is awesome and always really, really fun.”

It is this type of multigenerational connection that is deeply rooted in Albuquerque’s culture, Keller said, and is what she cherishes the most about this essay contest.

“It’s really powerful to see the essays each of the students have written,” she said. “Some of them make you laugh, some of them make you cry, and I think it reminds us of how many stories we have in our community. ... Being able to shine a spotlight on seniors feels emblematic of such a core part of our community.”

Gino Gutierrez is the good news reporter at the Albuquerque Journal. If you have an idea for a good news story, you can contact him at goodnews@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3940.