2016 Richard Harris Law PSA Contest Entries

Katherine Metzger
Northwest Career and Technical AcademyDescription: This is a poem I wrote about all the things you should do or have to be prepared for unexpected situations.

When something wild happens
And you get a little scared
Don’t worry, panic, or freak out
Just next time, be prepared!

If you’re going on a hike
Bring an umbrella for the rain
And if you drop spaghetti on your new white shirt
There’s no need to complain

Just throw it in the wash
(as fast as you possibly can)
And use the special cleaning spray
Which you should always have on hand

If your flashlight batteries burn out
I know you will not shed a tear
Because you’ll remember the extra pair
That you always keep so near

Always keep some band aids
For little scrapes and cuts
And keep a good spare tire on your car
Or else it’ll drive you nuts!

Keep a tool bag handy
For quick fixes around your home
And bring an emergency radio
No matter how far away you roam

Soon you will discover
If you haven’t learned it yet
That life throws curveballs everyday
But there’s no need to fret

As long as you prepare
And plan for a rainy day
You’ll have everything you could possibly need
And you’ll be on your way!

Ingrid Oliver Mori
Legacy High SchoolDescription: The submission is a short story based on a true story that I experienced and thought it was applicable for the theme proposed.

The unexpectancies of life

During my fourteen years of life I have encountered many “Just in cases.” From moving countries to moving schools countless times. I have been through many situations that I had to learn new languages. I have also been through a circumstance in which I had to learn how to adapt myself to new environments. Just in case I would have to face everything again, I will work hard in order to accomplish my goals and make them come true. Just in case someone criticizes me, I would take it only as simple advices for me to improve myself.

At the age of three I had to adapt myself in Japan. It was not actually hard for me because I was just a little kid and I did not even care about moving to new countries and making new friends. Since then, I had to go back to my original country, Brazil. I was born in Brazil and I spent my whole childhood there. I had a lot of friends and I was already adapted to it. But the fact that life was getting harder for us and we could not live in Brazil anymore, pushed my family to start a new life in a new country. We decided to live in Peru for three months, but then, my mom wanted to give a better education to my sister and I. Consequently, my sister and I were the first ones to go to the United States. My parents had to stay in Brazil for a while.

Everything was so different from Brazil. In the beginning of this journey, I admit, it was not easy for me and my sister to live without our parents . I believe that moving to the United States was harder than moving to Peru. I had to stay for one year in a program called ESL, which is a program for students that do not speak English. My sister was one of the reasons why I handled these situations. She was always there for me, to help me and support me. And just in case I move out again, I know I will be prepared to face anything.

I would love to have the opportunity to get this scholarship. I am going to make this money useful. I want to be able to retribute all the things my sister and my parents have done for me. I want to graduate from High School and attend an university. And just in case that things do not work out as I want, I will still keep trying over and over again. No matter what happens, I will always have my family by my side and they will always support me and encourage me to have new experiences in my life.”