Each one of us is responsible for promoting change to build a better world. On April 19, 1995, one hundred and sixty-eight innocent men, women and children were killed in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Those responsible chose this violent act as a means to express disagreement and effect change. Their plan failed. The 18th Annual Student Essay Contest encourages students to think about the importance of being a unifying voice and being active in their communities to create positive change.
Students in grades 5-12 may participate and are eligible to win a cash prize and have the opportunity to be recognized at a ceremony at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum in March, 2019. Winning essays will be available on this website.
Over 1,000 students participated in last year’s contest from 31 states. From those essays, teachers submitted their top selections resulting in over 450 entries. Winning essays came from students in Oklahoma, New Jersey, Kansas and Indiana.
We are grateful to Allegiance Credit Union for sponsoring this contest, and proud of our continued partnership. The Federal Employees Credit Union, which changed its name to Allegiance Credit Union in 2003, was located on the third floor of the Murrah Building and lost 18 of its 33 employees in the bombing. Six of the surviving employees were seriously injured. With the assistance of other credit unions and volunteers, they were able to reopen within 48 hours at a temporary site furnished by Tinker Federal Credit Union. “We are proud to sponsor the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum in just one of the many ways they are sharing the lessons of hope with our young people,” said Amy Downs, Survivor and Allegiance Credit Union President/CEO.
