Based on their outstanding writing skills, Ward Melville High School juniors Noor Kamal and Arianna Parkideh were named winners in the National Council of Teachers of English annual Achievement Awards in Writing Competition.

For the contest, each student submitted a sample writing piece that they considered to be their best work as well as a themed writing based on a topic developed by the Achievement Awards Advisory Committee. This year’s theme was based on the popularized phrase “With great power comes great responsibility,” and asked the writers to evaluate and analyze those in positions of power and what they are doing to live up to the responsibilities they are bestowed.  

National judges evaluated each piece of writing for content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development and style.