"If every

person makes his/her own contribution to life and refuses to listen to

others or stereotypes others, that thwarts their melody and cheats the

listener of the music," Massengale writes. "Therefore, every

individual must try to see the beauty hidden in every person and listen

to each person's message."

Sansom's untitled

piece stresses how people should be happy with the person they are and

not try to change themselves to fit into a particular group. She talks

about her own experiences of trying to hide who she really was so that

she could fit into the most popular groups at school.

"'If you

be yourself, you'll never go out of style.' I read that on a fortune cookie

once that I keep in my journal," Samson begins her essay. "Throughout

my years I have grown spiritually and realized that for one to succeed

in life and truly be happy, they must never be fake. The most important

law, if not one of them, is to always be you no matter what. I would rather

be hated for whom I am than loved for who I am not."

Both Massengale

and Sansom were honored at an awards dinner where they received a $200

and $100 award, respectively, for being a school finalist.