Ward Melville High student Tyler Matukonis wins Long Island Authors Group essay contest
Tyler Matukonis (second from right) won first place in the Long Island Authors Group second annual Essay Challenge. He is pictured here with Ward Melville students August Hatcher-Robertson (left) and Alenna Lin, who placed second and third, respectively, and the Long Island Authors Group’s Essay Coordinator Brandy Scott. Credit: Three village Central School District
A Ward Melville High School student’s essay on the importance of preventing pollution has taken the top spot in a local contest.
Tyler Matukonis, a sophomore at the East Setauket school, won first place in the second annual essay contest coordinated by the Long Island Authors Group. He was awarded a $500 prize for his 500-word essay titled “Long Island Youth Will Save the Environment.”
This year’s contest, which received submissions from 20 school districts across Nassau and Suffolk counties, asked participants to either use their five senses to describe the impact a Long Island site had on them, or describe a critical issue facing local youth and how it can be solved.
“I have a great appreciation for the environment,” Matukonis said. “I first spoke about how Long Island has so many ecosystems, and from there I talked about different areas where pollution is being released. I also went into how people can use reusable water bottles instead of single-use water bottles.”
Matukonis, 15, is also a Boy Scout and a member of his school’s Kaleidoscope newspaper, Ward Melville Environmental Association and Science Olympiad team — the latter of which placed 19th nationwide at the national tournament this spring.
Second place in the essay contest went to Ward Melville senior August Hatcher-Robertson for her essay, “Long Island Aquarium.” Third place went to Ward Melville junior Alenna Lin for her essay, “Avalon Park — July 10.”
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
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