Andre Martin, a 7th grader at Ralph J. Bunche Middle School, was recently recognized as a runner-up in the 2013 Courage in My Community National Essay Contest.
The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum seeks to strengthen literacy and character skills in children by hosting this yearly essay contest.
“We were so impressed by the quality of all your students’ essays and look forward to honoring Andre and Bunche Middle School in the 22nd volume of The Courage of Boston’s Children, our organization’s annual publication,” said Liz Connolly, Site Coordinator at the Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.
Andre’s inspiring essay will be published in the 22nd volume of The Courage of Boston’s Children, the annual publication of the Max Warburg Courage Curriculum. His essay will grace the pages of the essay book, alongside personal stories of courage written by students from Boston, across the nation and throughout the world. The essay book will be released on May 3, 2013. 
Below is an excerpt from Andre’s essay:
I really feel that it is unproductive to have both courage and fear inside of you. The courage inside of you should always out shine the fear inside of you; the fear should never show. As Mr. Nelson Mandela said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
According to Andre, the biggest challenge he faced while writing his essay was elaborating on ideas. “But, thankfully I overcame this obstacle by listening to my teacher’s feedback and using the courage inside of me to write a great paper,” he said.
The fourth year of The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum’s Courage in My Community National Essay Contest has seen a record-breaking number of submissions from classrooms across the United States. The organization is pleased to share the many stories of perseverance, hope and courage shared by middle school students participating in the program.
To request a copy of the 2013 essay book, please email Liz Connolly (LCONNOLLY@maxcourage.org).
To learn more about The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum’s award-winning English Language Arts and character development programs, or to find out how to participate in the Courage in My Community National Essay Contest, please visit www.maxcourage.org.
