Hats off to heroes

Contest winners: Kayla Daniel, Dynekka Mosley and Porchia Marie Turner (l–r) were winners of the Lookout Heroes Contest, sponsored by the City of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture.

Three Chattanooga children write about the adults who inspire them

By Melissa Turner

The arts impact learning. We know from research and personal experience that when we use the arts in education—music and math; sculpture and physics; poetry and grammar—we learn faster and we retain the information longer.
The City of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture sponsors city-wide art contests and fun after-school programming for kids and teens to support and expand on what they’ve learned during school. This summer 10 elementary and middle-school students won “best essay” in the “Lookout Heroes, Here I Come” essay contest, sponsored by EAC. Each of the winning students threw out the first pitch at a Lookouts Game and received four box tickets to a game as well as a baseball autographed by members of the Lookouts baseball team.
Children aged 9 to 13 were invited to enter the contest by writing about their personal hero. The Lookout Heroes essay can be about a sports figure, mom, dad, teacher—anyone who is important in the students’ lives. Chattanooga Parent magazine is pleased to share with you three of this summer’s winning essays.
Keep posted for next year’s “Lookout Heroes” essay contest. And in the meantime, watch the Education, Arts & Culture website Chattanooga.gov for the latest on EAC arts contests for kids and teens.

“My dad wanted to be different than his father so we spend a lot of time together.”

My Hero is My Dad

By Porchia Marie Turner

What is a hero; my hero is not a singer, actor, teacher, but I love him as if he was a star. My hero is my dad. I can look up to him. Most kids don’t have a dad and I’m proud to have my dad by my side. My dad didn’t have a dad around when he was little, but he wanted to be better than his dad.
My dad always picks me up when I’m down. I think of my dad as a black super hero. People make fun of my dad, but my dad is strong, words don’t hurt him. My dad always put us first, when he wants to buy a part for his car, if we need food he will buy the food. My dad wanted to be different than his father so we spend a lot of time together. We take walks in the park. When I’m with dad I see the best smile on his face.
My dad works as a mechanic. My dad also comes to my basketball games and my track meets. He picks me up after practice and says “You still air balling.” My dad talks to me about respect and school. My dad is my hero because he treats people as if they were family. When I cry he takes my tears, balls them up into wisdom and puts it inside me. My dad is more than a hero to me. I remember one time when we were walking, he said, “Porsche you want a rich dad?” I said, “Your love is higher than United States gas.” I love my dad as if he was my own shining star. My dad is my hero. If you don’t like it, oh well. He’s my hero, not yours.

Ardena Garth is my hero because I want to become a lawyer like her, some day.

Ms. Garth is My Hero

By Dynekka Mosley

Ardena Garth is my hero because I want to become a lawyer like her, some day. She is a very smart and busy woman. She is married and has two children. She still continues with her duties as a Public Defender.
Ms. Garth will continue to serve the conference this year as the Past President of the Executive Committee. The Tennessee District Public Defenders Conference has elected Ardena Garth to serve as the 2006-2009 President of the Conference. Ms. Garth is Public District, which includes Hamilton County.
The Public Defenders Conference is a state wide system of elected Public Defenders from each Judicial District. The Executive Committee of the Public Defenders Conference is the decision making body of the conference. The Committee helps Public Defenders across the State discharge their official duties, and assists with the enactment of laws and rules of procedure necessary for the effective administration of justice. District Public Defenders represent citizens who are charged with crimes and cannot afford to hire their own attorneys.

She helps her husband represent the United States well.

Michelle Obama is My Hero

By Kayla Daniel

The person I chose that is a hero to me is the first African-American First Lady, named Michelle Obama.
I chose Michelle Obama as a hero to me because she makes good choices as a mother, wife, and as First Lady. She also helps her husband represent the United States well.
As an attorney, she practiced as a civil rights lawyer which is a pretty tough and hard job. Michelle Obama made good decisions as a former Chicago city administrator and community outreach worker. She was an associate at a law firm when she met Barack Obama, our 44th president of the United States. He was a summer intern and she was assigned to advise him.
Michelle Obama is a mother of two kids and their names are Malia and Sasha. Malia is 10 years old and was born on July 4, 1998 and Sasha was born August 10, 2001.
Now Michelle is the wife of Barack Obama our 44th president and met him in 1989 and married him on October 1992.