Two O.C. Teens Receive State Awards for Creativity

Two Ocean City High School students were among those honored by the New Jersey Department of Human Services May 15 for their winning entries in the 2019 New Jersey Child Support Teen Media Contest. The contest celebrated the artistic and written portrayal of situations when the students felt most supported by a parent or loved one. It aims to engage high school and middle school students in creative thinking through art, digital illustration and the written word. Teens can enter the contest individually or through their school. Winners are chosen based upon their interpretation of the year’s theme, with the winning art and written pieces featured in Human Services’ annual Child Support calendar published each year. Ocean City High School student Elijah Cochran takes third place in the contest. Winners in the Written Work category for high schools:

• First place, Akansha Joshi, West Windsor Plainsboro High School South
• Second place, Erin Hanlon, Ocean City High School
• Third place, Elijah Cochran, Ocean City High School

"We are once again excited by the amazing talents of New Jersey’s students,” Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson said. “This contest is one of the ways that we bring attention to New Jersey’s child support program,” said Natasha Johnson, director of Human Service’s Division of Family Development, which hosts the contest annually. Besides having their artwork featured in the 2020 calendar, all winning entries, along with a number of honorable mentions, will be displayed in the Statehouse Annex Tunnel from June 3-7. A list of all of the winners and honorable mentions can be viewed at www.NJTeenMedia.org.