Pioneer Valley High School seniors Andrew Cronin and Nathan Lainez recently won $2,000 scholarships from De La Rosa & Co. by penning two of the winning entries in the investment bank’s Fabric of Society essay contest.
Students wrote about quotations on the meaning of citizenship from four famous thinkers, including Greek philosopher Socrates, President Dwight Eisenhower, writer James Baldwin, and contemporary social activist Eric Liu.
In a statement to the media, company president Edward J. De La Rosa said the winning essays “explored the notion of citizenship from all angles, but certain themes resonated broadly in the essays, from feeling pride in the country and defending it when duty calls, to pitching in to improve our communities and setting a positive example for people around the world.”
The winning essays were selected by guest judges actor Andy García, former San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong, television news anchor Palmira Pérez, and U.S. Marine Corps combat correspondent Michele Watson.
In the statement, Garcia said he found it interesting that first-generation Americans wrote the most compelling essays he judged. “Citizenship wasn’t their parents’ birthright. Their sense of civic responsibility was very strong, and gives great hope for an America strengthened by its diversity,” he said.
De La Rosa & Co. is one of the top 10 municipal bond underwriters in the United States. The firm created the Fabric of Society competition in 2009 to mark its 20th anniversary.
