Ukrainian students virtually swept the international stage of a U.S. Peace Corps writing competition on April 18 after placing in eight out of 11 categories. Students took home four 1st place honors, and two apiece for 2nd and 3rd.
The International Writing Olympics announced the winners of its inaugural contest after an international panel of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers reviewed essays from 10 countries. Students from the 6th form to the fourth year of university were eligible to compete.
This was the first year Ukrainian students participated in the international writing contest.
Oksana Melnychuk, a 4th year student from Chernivtsi National University, won first place for her essay, which was to write a letter to her great, great, great grandchild. Like any good grandmother, she had some advice:
“The first and most precious advice is as follows: Eat dozens of biscuits, cakes and jellybeans. Enjoy it while you’re young, because as soon as you’re old, your teeth won’t let you eat them.
“Don’t clean your shoes with your father’s toothbrush. Sooner or later he’ll find out. I can tell you out of my own experience. … Spend most of your time with your family. I know, they enjoy embarrassing you in public, but that’s how it is, learn to live with it.
The Ukrainian international winners are as follows:
– Masha Romanova, 6th form (Rivne School 15, Rivnenska oblast) – 2nd place;
– Anastasiya Senchuk, 8th form (Vyzhnytsia Gymnasium, Chernivetska oblast) – 3rd place;
– Ann Liesova, 9th form (Cherkaska School 17, Cherkaska oblast) – 3rd place;
– Yulia Pyshko, 11th form (Rivne School 15, Rivnenska oblast) – 1st place;
– Irene Sandoul, 1st year university (Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Dnipropetrovska oblast) – 1st place;
– Oxana Melashenko, 2nd year university (Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University) – 1st place;
– Katerina Golubnitchaya, 3rd year university (LNU Stakhanov Pedagogical Complex, Luganska oblast) – 2nd place;
– Oksana Melnychuk, 4th year university (Chernivtsi National University, Chernivetska oblast) – 1st place.
The Writing Olympics was launched in 2003 by Peace Corps-Georgia volunteers to promote creativity, critical thinking, and free expression among students learning English. Now the contest is open to all countries being served by Peace Corps volunteers. Countries that participated in the 2011 contest were: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Georgia, Moldova, Mongolia, Philippines, and Ukraine. IWO-Ukraine was established by a group of Peace Corps Volunteers in the fall of 2010 to organize Ukraine’s involvement in the competition.
Below is Oksana Melnychuk’s award winning essay:
Write a letter to your great, great, great grandchild
Dear Darling!
If you’re reading this letter then, probably, the scientists didn’t come up with a “Never-Die-Potion”…which is really bad, because I cannot see how you look like these days. I’m sure you’re attractive and beautiful, just as I was.
I’m pretty sure your parents are giving you much advice. But did they tell you I was the best advisor ever? Oh, I like giving advice… to anyone, anytime, anywhere. I’m good at it! I have given advice to your great, great grandma, her aunt and her uncle’s neighbour and her daughter’s boyfriend’s mother and that naughty guinea pig! Hope it wasn’t eaten by that plump cat after all… poor thing! But closer to the point.
As soon as you’ve read this letter, burn it. I don’t want your great, great, great grandpa coming across it one day. And he really had that annoying ability of finding out things he wasn’t supposed to.
The first and most precious advice is as follows: eat dozens of biscuits, cakes and jellybeans. Enjoy it while you’re young, because as soon as you’re old, your teeth won’t let you eat them.
Don’t clean your shoes with your father’s toothbrush. Sooner or later he’ll find out. I can tell you out of my own experience.
Do not even ever thing of writing true stories in your diary. Your mother lies: you won’t need it when you’re a celebrity. She’ll need it when you’re out.
Do not sit all day long at your laptop, or whatever you call that big time-eater now. Don’t use it at all. Only Bubblefighter, Sims and Fluffydillypolly are OK!
Spend most of your time with your family. I know, they enjoy embarrassing you in public, but that’s how it is, learn to live with it.
And the last one: kiss your granny everytime you see her. She’ll really enjoy it.
P.S. I know you’re a good girl (I always wanted a daughter). Stay as you are. Be yourself!
P.P.S. Love you!
