The moment has finally come for the Eating Disorders Resource Center to announce the winners of the annual Be-You-tiful Be Free writing contest! Every spring, our organization is astounded by the depth and quality of each student’s submission. We have read countless poems and essays that express a depth of emotion, thought, and vulnerability—something that is very difficult to achieve, making them all the more inspiring. We would like to thank our esteemed judging panel for their hard work and dedication to making this happen even during the outbreak of COVID-19. Additional thanks goes to our sponsor for this year’s contest, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and our partner, the Santa Clara County Library District.
First, second, and third place winners will receive $300, $200, and $100 respectively. Honorable mention recipients will receive $50. Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2020 contest!
Middle School Category
First Place: Sanika Bidarkar (Lawson Middle, 8th)
Second Place: Minh-Thi Pham (Holy Family, 8th)
Third Place: Alan Tai (Kennedy Middle, 7th)
Honorable Mention: Satvika Iyer (Merryhill School, 8th)
High School Category
First Place: Madison Smith (Gilroy Early College Academy, 12th)
Second Place: Kelly Kim (Cupertino High, 10th)
Third Place: Lia Fernandez-Grinshpun (Nueva Upper School, 10th)
Honorable Mention: Saisha Hongal (Mission San Jose High, 11th), Amitha Bhat (Wilcox High, 11th)
Eating Disorders Resource Center
Contact: Celine Wang
(408) 356-1212
celine@edrcsv.org
