Tyner Academy seniors Kysean Neal and Kevin Dossett are recipients of first and second place awards, respectively, in The HistoryMakers essay writing contest.
“When students win an essay contest, they achieve something they didn’t expect,” said their English teacher, Dr. Elizabeth Renneisen. “It’s exciting to see their reactions to such a success.”
Renneisen assigned her class a research project during the African American History month of February. The students read “Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America” by Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson, an outline of Mamie Till-Mobley’s memoirs regarding her son Emmett Till’s life, death and effect on the Civil Rights movement.
“The majority of my class are boys,” she said. “I knew this topic would be interesting to them.”
The research focused on digital archives and live interviews with Chattanooga residents involved in African-American history and Civil Rights movements over the years, she added.
“It was the first time for students to engage and interact with the community,” said Russell. “I was really excited to see how well the students responded to this school project.”
After reading the final drafts, Renneisen recognized the talent of the work before deciding to submit the papers in the contest.
Fellow teachers should be encouraged to support their students through similar endeavors, according to Renneisen. She hopes The HistoryMakers will offer another writing contest next year.
“I want to do everything to help the kids,” she said. “After all, that’s what it’s about.”
The two graduating seniors are multi-talented. Neal is an athlete and will be attending UTC in the fall. Dossett was awarded a full scholarship to Tennessee State University and will be playing football for the school.