Prompt: Students will write a life-affirming essay based on the THEME: Just As ... I Am with the Bible verse: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Ring

By: Charlotte Ashenfelter

           My most valuable thing is the ring my grandma got me for my 13th birthday. It was gorgeous. It has a silver band, the gem stone is blue, and it has a little heart on the band. She also got my sister a ring for her 13th birthday. She gave it to me when we went out to dinner on my birthday.

           It represents me as a person turning into a teenager. It is my favorite color, which is light blue.  I have it in a safe space, so no one can get it. She gave it to me when we went out to dinner. It's one of my favorite things that I have gotten, and it means the most.

My Baseball Cards 

By: Tommy Bibo

I started collecting baseball cards when I was a little kid, and I still do. I enjoy all the memories of opening the packs with my dad. I didn't care if they were valuable or not; it was just the fun of opening a pack. However, the older I got, the more cards I had. Then I got binders and looked at all the cards I had collected over the years. 

Eventually, I got more and more into collecting valuable cards. Turns out the cards I had collected over the years are pretty valuable! Now, I try to collect specific cards that are valuable. However, I don’t try to collect the most expensive cards; I try to collect the cards that have value to me. Now, whenever we go up north to our cabin, my dad and I each get a box of baseball cards. We always have fun with the idea of pulling a really good card. However, most of the time, it doesn't happen, but we still have fun, and we always remember opening baseball cards with each other. 

The License Plate

By: Chase Burmesch

I picked this topic because my uncle recently passed away. He loved two things more than anything: his dog Kota and his Jeep. He died just before his birthday but on my birthday my grandparents gave me the license plate from his Jeep. It was emotional because I now have it in my room and remember him whenever I see it. He tried hard to keep going in life.

The license plate has a lot of meaning. Other than that it looks pretty cool. It has a red, white, and blue gradient. It says GHOSTS on it and matched perfectly with his Jeep. My uncle's Jeep was very cool and meant a lot to him and now the license plate means a lot to me.  

Cross

By: Owen Jerstad

I have a rosary that is very important to me. I got it from my grandma. She sadly died in 2021, but it reminds me of her. When I’m scared, it keeps me safe. It not only reminds me of her, it reminds me of Jesus.

Jesus died on the cross for us. He saved us from sin. He forgives us. He promises us eternal life with Him in heaven. Maybe my grandma passed away, but she is celebrating with Jesus in heaven, and I will too someday.

Chain

By: Niko Kuzenko

I have a chain that means a lot. It's because my grandma gave it to my dad. My dad gave it to me when I was eight; I've had it ever since. It's very special to me for many reasons. One reason is because it was made in Ukraine. 

Second, my Xbox. The reason why is because my dad bought it for my birthday. We also bought it after we left New York. I use it with my uncle and my dad. I love my chain and my Xbox for many reasons and I am grateful for them as well.

My Favorite Pillows

By: Kamryn Regnitz

There are two decorative pillows that I have in my room that I love very much. These pillows are special to me because one has a picture of my dog, Chesney, and one has a picture of my bunny, Piper. They have both passed away.  My dog Chesney, was a yellow lab, and Piper was grey, big, and fluffy. I love these pillows because I can look at them and it reminds me of all the memories I had with them. My favorite memory with Chesney was taking him to the Cedarburg pool for the dog swim at the end of summer.  A memory I had with my bunny was just sitting in her cage and petting her soft fur. 

My mom and dad got these pillows for my sister and I for Christmas, because they knew how much we missed them. It was a really creative idea to put a picture of something on a pillow. I like to snuggle up with them at night when I fall asleep. Even though they are gone, the pillows make me think they are still here. I love these pillows and I plan to keep them forever. 

Doggy

By: Frankie Romanowsky

I have a stuffed dog named Dog. Dog is from IKEA. He’s pretty popular there and is very fluffy. Dog is all ragged and not fluffy because of how much I snuggled with him when I was young. Dog could never be sold. 

My mom gave it to me right when I came out of the womb. I never let go of Dog for a year straight. He is chilling in my room, untouched because he is worn down, and I want him to be cherished. It is the only thing worth no amount of money in my life. Dog will live forever. 

Stuffed Cat

By: Bree Wilmot

I have an orange and white stuffed animal cat. This cat is small and doesn’t look like much to people who don’t know the meaning. When I was three, I got this stuffed cat. My cat, Clyde, was sick when I got it. He ended up puking on the stuffed animal. 

I’ve always treasured this stuffed animal. I named it Clyde, after my cat. It stays on my shelf in my room to remind me of my cat every day. Clyde was always a nice cat and a good comfort animal. I rarely let anyone touch it, but I do let trusted people touch it. 

Baseball Glove

By: Joseph Fassbender

My baseball glove is very important to me. It started on my first season on the Mercs. I was warming up in a game that will be close. It was 15 minutes before the game. Then I dropped the foul ball because my baseball glove broke. I got my new glove a week later.

The glove was made out of thick leather. I broke it in but it took three days. Every single day from nine to five I tried to break it in. Now I have made over five hundred plates with this glove. This glove has a lot of memories. It is almost priceless to me.

Inspiration

By: Leo Hensler

My Papa gave me an old Tom Thumb typewriter. He has studied science since he was ten (now he is eighty). It had been sitting in his basement in a plastic bag. So, it was very rusty and jammed easily. I want to try and restore it myself to show him.

Another thing I love is a stuffed elephant that I had named Nana. I got him in Michigan when I was with my grandparents. I begged for him, and my Papa got it for me. For years after that, I would bring him to my doctor appointments as comfort. He has been through a lot and shows it. 

Mr. Turtle

By: Aubrey Moon

I had a couple of favorite stuffed animals when I was little. One of them was Mr. Turtle. Yes, I know it’s a very original name. He is, of course, a turtle. He had a green body and a brown shell.

One reason I loved him was that my dad would always hold Mr. Turtle as if he were walking, and he would sing the tune to the Pink Panther Theme. Every time he would get to the high note, he would have Mr. Turtle look at me. It would get me to laugh every time. He was one of many stuffed animals that I would have on my bed every night when I sleep. I still have Mr. Turtle, and I hope I will never lose nor get rid of him. 

Basketball

By: Delaney Reichert

I think it would be the first time I got a basketball. I still have it in my garage; it was an orange and white WNBA. It was a Wilson basketball and I would be out shooting on my hoop every day. I used to play at the Closed Gyms when I was little, and it was super fun. I loved it so much. It made me grow so much and helped me get better. 

I admired it so much because it was the best thing that ever happened to me. My Grandpa would go outside with me every day and help me practice and shoot and dribble around the neighborhood. I love basketball but I have to learn to grow confidence in the sport. Otherwise, I won't do well in high school and I really want to do well in high school. I’m super excited, but I don't know what high school I will go to. It's between West Bend, Cedarburg, and Living Word. 

My First Volleyball 

By: Haylee Robinson

A very important object is definitely my first volleyball. I have been playing volleyball for a couple years, and it really has changed my life. It has given me friends, exploration of the U.S., and makes me very happy. The first time I actually started playing volleyball wasn’t too long ago. It was about five years ago when I got my first volleyball! 

I actually got my first volleyball in Ocean City, Maryland. It’s a blue volleyball that says Ocean City on it. It got me to start playing volleyball because I was using it with Roxy and realized that I really liked it. Since volleyball is so important to me now that I’m older, my first volleyball has a lot of meaning to it! Unfortunately, since it’s so old, it is very beat up now. However, it still has the same amount of meaning! 

My Family Baby Book

By: Sean Suhajda

My family baby book is very important to me because it is where all my siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles have family photos. It is a way to look back at memories of my family. It also gives me some nostalgia when I see my sister as a baby again. I like that I get to see my parents as babies too. They look so much more different now than they did. Its very fun to see them as babies and not as adults for once.

There are also some other photos from vacations. It’s cool to see some family members. I never see pictures in the book. The book is huge; it is over 200 pages. It is cool going back and looking at my family members when they were young. That is why this is so important to me and it makes me happy.