Johnny Kauffman ('09) wins grand prize.

English teacher Jeremiah Wade (right) with contest winnersFor the third consecutive year a Bethany senior English student has placed first in the Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office's annual high school essay contest. Johnny Kauffman won this year's $500 grand prize for his essay, "The Global Food Crisis: Feeding the 6,700,000,000." Classmate Erin Helmuth also received one of three honorable mention for her essay, "An Energy Policy for All Americans." Their essays were selected for top honors from high school applicants attending Mennonite, Brethren in Christ, and other Anabaptist congregations and/or high schools in North America, including 39 alone from Bethany.

The annual essay contest provides an opportunity for young people to reflect on public policy and Anabaptist faith. Students could choose to focus their essay on one of three topics:

• U.S. Energy Policy
• The Global Food Crisis
• Gun Deaths

Previous Bethany winners include Daniel Gingerich in 2007 and Matt Thomas in 2006.

For more information on MCC Washington Office or the contest, see www.mcc.org/us/washington.