Seventh Graders Recognized by "Lifting Up Westchester"

A pair of Eastchester Middle School students are proving that you are never too young to think about making a positive impact on the world. 

Last week, two EMS seventh graders, Martina Kodra and Kaitlyn Suelto, were recognized by a local organization that is dedicated to providing support to those who have lost their housing or are struggling to meet other basic needs, as the youngsters were announced as winners of the 2024-25 Lifting Up Westchester Essay Contest. 

This year’s Lifting Up Westchester Essay Contest saw students explore their ideas for making a meaningful impact in their communities and Kodra and Suelto—inspired by their English teacher Lori DeMarco—both wowed judges, with Kodra placing first among students in Grades 7-8 and Suelto taking third.

Kodra, whose essay centered around enlisting local restaurants to donate leftover food to the less fortunate and encouraging sports teams to work with disadvantaged youths, said that she was both honored—and surprised—to be selected as a winner. 

“I was actually in orchestra class when my teacher came into let me know, and when she first told me, I didn’t really comprehend it because I was just playing my instrument,” she said. “But when I thought about it, I was really proud about the idea that out of all of Westchester County, I was chosen.

“I was proud for myself,” she added. “But when I also heard that Kaitlyn had been selected, I was proud for our school, too.”

Suelto—who wrote about forming peer mentoring groups and providing permanent housing for lower-income families—agreed with Kodra’s take on how the recognition spoke to the way Eastchester students are taught to engage the world.  

“When my mom told me that I had won, I was so excited,” said Suelto. “And when you look at all of the students in Westchester, to have two chosen from Eastchester, that’s really cool.”

Kodra added that the idea of improving the world is constantly reinforced throughout a student’s time in Eastchester, noting that her sister—a current student at Waverly—is already being asked to contemplate how compassion for others can strengthen a community. 

“My sister has these prompts every week, and I remember one day, the prompt asked, ‘how can you help others who are less fortunate than you?’” said Kodra. “When I first read this, I remember wondering how they expected a five-year-old to answer this question, but when I realized she had some ideas, even though she was so young, I realize that these are things you can teach a child at a young age so that they grow up with those values.”