2010 Through 2013 National Winners of Annual Arthur Ashe Essay and Art Contest

2013 Arthur Ashe Essay & Art Contest National Winners
The 15th Annual Arthur Ashe Essay and Art Contest is sponsored annually by the USTA/NJTL. It asks USTA/NJTL participants to explain in 300 words or less, draw a picture or create artwork, why Arthur Ashe is a tennis legend. If you are an NJTL participant, you’ll be asked to write, or draw, your response to the question, 

“If you could follow in Arthur Ashe’s footsteps and ‘give back’ to tennis, what would you do to give back to the game, and how would it impact others?”.

Winners receive a trip to New York City that includes attending Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the U.S. Open, attend a professional sporting event, see a Broadway show and receive a special award at a luncheon held in your honor. Essays and art work must be in English and will not be returned. 

Name                  NJTL Chapter USTA                                               Section

Essay Boys 10U 
Derek K.     –    Legacy Youth Tennis and Education                   Middle States 

Essay Boys 11-12 
Andrew C.  –    Youth Tennis Advantage                                       Northern California 

Essay Boys 13-14 
Alex E.        –    InnerCity Tennis                                                      Northern 

Essay Boys 15-16 
Chor L.       –   Rodney Street Tennis & Tutoring Association     Middle States 

Essay Boys 17-18 
Cody S.       –   Dallas Tennis Association                                        Texas 

Essay Girls 10U 
Jada R.        –   Genisis School                                                            Missouri Valley 

Essay Girls 11-12 
Destiny S.   –    Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program   Eastern 

Essay Girls 13-14 
Lily C.          –   Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation         Midwest 

Essay Girls 15-16 
Grace T.      –   NYJTL                                                                            Eastern 

Essay Girls 17-18 
Lalla D.       –   Harlm Junior Tennis and Education Porgram        Eastern

View Additional Information about the 2013 Arthur Ashe Essay and Art Contest

2012 Arthur Ashe Essay & Art Contest National Winners
The 14th Annual Arthur Ashe Essay and Art Contest is sponsored annually by the USTA/NJTL. It asks USTA/NJTL participants to explain in 300 words or less, draw a picture or create artwork, why Arthur Ashe is a tennis legend.

If you are an NJTL participant, you’ll be asked to write, or draw, your response to the question, 

If Arthur Ashe were alive today, what do you think would give him hope?“.

Winners receive a trip to New York City that includes attending Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the U.S. Open, attend a professional sporting event, see a Broadway show and receive a special award at a luncheon held in your honor. Essays and art work must be in English and will not be returned. 

Contest entry period began July 10, 2011 and ended at 5:00 PM ET on June 1, 2012. 

Essay Winners:

Rebecca Richey – Girls 10 and Under

Brandon Torres – Boys 10 and Under

Michaela Peterson – Girls 11 & 12

Timothy Bryant, Jr. – Boys 11 & 12

Halle Brazda – Girls 13 & 14

Jared Lees – Boys 13 & 14

Azani Fitten – Girls 15 & 16

Matthew Wassman – Boys 15 & 16

Lindsey Wambles – Girls 17 & 18

Tyler Haanen – Boys 17 & 18

Art Winners:

Angelia Herrera – Girls 10 and Under

Jasmine Standard – Girls 11 & 12

Omar Shalabi – Boys 10 and Under

Robert Shi – Boys 11 & 12

2011 Arthur Ashe Essay & Art Contest National WinnersEssay Winners

Iasiah Sena – Girls 10 and Under

Shouri Akarapu – Boys 10 and Under

Martina Lam – Girls 11 & 12

Desire Johnson – Boys 11 & 12

Ashley Duong – Girls 13 & 14

Sidak Grewal – Boys 13 & 14

Naomi Dominguez – Girls 15 & 16

Benjamin Bui – Boys 15 & 16

Kari Burt – Girls 17 & 18

Kristofer Yee – Boys 17 & 18

Art Winners:

Shea Walk – Girls 10 and Under

Takuma Walter – Boys 10 and Under

Clara Kim – Girls 11 & 12

Caleb Boyd – Boys 11 & 12

To enter, children, 18 or younger, had to write an essay in 300 words or less, or draw a picture or create artwork in response to the following question, “Why do you think Arthur Ashe created the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network and how has your NJTL Chapter impacted your life?”. A USTA sub-committee selected the winning essays based on knowledge of Arthur Ashe, message clarity, and writing style.

2010 Arthur Ashe Essay & Art Contest National Winners
Name                       Category                      Section NJTL Chapter:

Paige Moore       Girls 10 & Under       Mid-Atlantic Southeast Tennis & Learning Center

Daniel Stewart   Boys 10 & Under       Southern Birmingham Area Tennis Association

Isis Gill-Reid        Girls 11 & 12              Eastern NYJTL

Kieran Walsh      Boys 11 & 12              Northern St. Paul Urban Tennis Program

Allyce Harrison    Girls 13 & 14             Missouri Valley McAdams Community Tennis Foundation

Varun Medhal      Boys 13 & 14             Pacific Northwest Kids N’ Tennis, Inc.

Vietmy Tran          Girls 15 & 16             Northern California Youth Tennis Advantage

Cody Stewert        Boys 15 & 16             Texas Dallas Tennis Association

Grace Trimble      Girls 17 & 18              Southern LTC Smart Shots

Francis Cuenca      Boys 17 & 18             Northern California NorCal/NJTL Training Camp

To enter, children, 18 or younger, had to write an essay in 300 words or less in response to the following question, “Some say that winning the 1968 US Open as the first African American male was Arthur Ashe’s greatest accomplishment. What do you think?” A USTA sub-committee selected the winning essays based on knowledge of Arthur Ashe, message clarity, and writing style.