SHENANGO VALLEY —

When Jared Germani, a student at Oakview Elementary School in West Middlesex, heard about the African-American History and Heroes Contest, he thought it would be an opportunity to bring attention to someone whom he felt hadn’t been given the credit he deserved.

“Imagine if you were the inventor of many medical tools used today, and created a method that would save tons of lives. You would probably be rich and famous, and an inspiration to surgeons everywhere,” he wrote in his essay. “Now imagine that you did all of this, and nobody knew.”

Jared was writing about Dr. Vivien Thomas, a doctor who in the 1940s found a cure for blue babies syndrome, which had taken the lives of thousands in infants.

He didn’t get credit for discovering the cure until decades later, Jared said.

Katherine Miller, another Oakview student, wrote about a less obscure, but just as influential figure, George Washington Carver.

Carver was a scientist and educator who helped dispel the myth of black intellectual inferiority,

Katherine focused on his scientific achievements, starting off writing, “Who was so smart, he invented gasoline made out of peanuts? That person was George Washington Carver.”

“He invented 300 different uses for peanuts, including peanut butter and gasoline,” Katherine writes near the end of her essay.

Those two, and 26 other students from in and around the Shenango Valley were given first-place awards for essays they wrote for the contest, organized by the Shenango Valley Urban League nearly 36 years ago.

Twenty-seven other students earned honorable mentions.

Students were asked to pick an African-American who has inspired them in some way. Some wrote about well-known figures, like Carver, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson and President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. Other students picked family members.

Elizabeth Lampkins, who chairs the program, said one of the purposes of the contest is to educate local students about the contributions of African-Americans through the years.

Christian Walker, a student at Farrell Elementary, chose his mother, Cynthia Walker.

He said he she inspires him to do good and help others.

Christian wrote, “Between the ages of 14 and 18, my mother worked many summer jobs.

She helped the custodians clean buildings at local schools, assisted at day cares, helped feed the elderly and as a community center secretary and playground instructor.”

Samantha Swartz, a student at Delahunty Middle School in Hermitage, chose Michael Jackson because: “A lot of money from his concerts went to help sick, homeless and hungry people in Africa,” she wrote. “He also accomplished a lot of firsts, such as being the ‘King of Pop’ and being the first black artist on MTV.”

Essay contest winners

These are the first-place winners in Shenango Valley Urban League’s annual African-American History and Heroes Essay Contest. Students’ names are followed by their school and the topic of their essay.

• Samantha Swartz, Delahunty Middle, Hermitage; Michael Jackson.

• Makaylia Brown, Geno Monti, Farrell; her father, Tearance Brown.

• Christian Ellis, Farrell Elementary; his grandmother, Peggy Lampkins-Robinson.

• Christian Walker, Farrell Elementary; his mother, Cynthia Holmes.

• Kate Mulvey, Case Avenue Elementary, Sharon; Thurgood Marshal.

• Joseph Faber, Case Avenue Elementary, Sharon; Jackie Robinson.

• Katherine Miller, Oakview Elementary, West Middlesex; George Washington Carver.

• Emily Eastlick, Oakview Elementary, West Middlesex; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

• Jared Germani, Oakview Elementary, West Middlesex; Vivien Thomas.

• Macy Siefert, Oakview Elementary, West Middlesex; Elizabeth Coleman.

• Micah Powell, Oakview Elementary, West Middlesex; his uncle, William Spence.

• Rebecca Inman, Oakview Elementary, West Middlesex; first lady Michelle Obama.

• Joanna Sundeberg, West Hill Elementary, Sharon; Michael Jackson.

• Jordan Dickson, West Hill Elementary, Sharon; Alicia Keys.

• Maggie Robertson, Sharpsville Elementary; Farrell Mayor Olive M. McKeithan.

• Josh Weaver, Sharpsville Middle; Eric Sike.

• Travis J. Miller, Sharpsville Middle; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

• Jenna Bush, Sharpsville Middle; Rosa Parks.

• Hannah McElrath, Mercer Elementary; Marcus Allen.

• Kevin Gills, Mercer Elementary; Muhammad Ali.

• Maddison Gabany, Mercer Elementary; Ruby Bridges.

• Kaitlyn Nemeth, Mercer Elementary; Marguerite Johnson.

• Carmen Nevant, St. Joseph’s, Sharon; Jesse Owens.

• Victoria Hanna, Musser Elementary, Sharon; Benjamin Banneker.

• Amelia Kimpan, Musser Elementary, Sharon; Jackie Robinson.

• Paige Kurelko, Musser Elementary, Sharon; Harriet Tubman.

• DeRika D. Cromartie, Musser Elementary, Sharon; her brother, Tyrone Rashawn Lites.

• LaShaya Norris, Musser Elementary, Sharon; her father, Larry Norris.