See the winning entries in the Issaquah Schools Foundation's Influence the Choice - Drug Prevention Alliance for Youth's student video contest.
Students were challenged to influence friends, parents and younger students to adopt healthy lifestyles by submitting video commercials of two minutes or less. Contestants were required to include at least one health-related fact in the videos.
Overall Winner
- John Farrar, Matthew Mogg and Alec McKeefry, Skyline High School, "Think About It"
Category: My Choice To Be Healthy
- First Place: Nick Nielsen and Jack Humble, Skyline High School, "Find Your Outlet"
- Second Place: Bella Mishuris and Alissa Scott, Skyline High School, "My Choice To Be Healthy"
- Third Place: Brandon Kay, Eugene Tou, Alex Elevathingal, Ivan Esmeral and Trevor West, Skyline High School, "Friendship"
Category: What I Wish My Parents Knew
- First Place: Evan Minicucci, Skyline High School, “ITC”
- Second Place: Jena McJunkin and Molly Nakao, Skyline High School, “Influence The Choice 2016”
- Third Place: Grayson Cooper, Skyline High School, “Don’t Be Afraid”
Category: To My Younger Self
- First Place: Olga Andreeva, Issaquah High School, “Say No to Drugs, Live Your Own Life”
- Second Place: Morgan Jones, Skyline High School, “Dear Freshman Year Me”
- Third Place: Malia Nakamura and Darian Himes, Skyline High School, “Brothers and Sisters”
Category: Middle School Videos
- First Place: Enya Song, Pine Lake Middle School, “Live a Life to Remember”
- Second Place: Mansi Rivera, Pine Lake Middle School, “I Wish My Parents Would Understand”
- Third Place: Mahima Joshi, Pine Lake Middle School, “What Do I Do to Stay Healthy?”
- Fourth Place: Carah Smallwood, Issaquah Middle School, “2016 Influence the Choice”
Cash prizes for winners were provided by the Rotary Club of Issaquah, the Rotary Club of Sammamish, and the Sammamish Kiwanis Club. The contest was also supported by a $3,000 grant from the City of Issaquah Arts Commission.
“The student video contest is our signature activity,” Influence the Choice Director Pat Castillo said. “Our kids need to be armed with facts and sensible arguments about how healthy drug-free choices provide benefits throughout their lifetime. During the middle school and high school years, students increasingly rely on their peers for information and influence. The video contest empowers young people to research the facts and then talk to each other about this important issue in their lives.”