2019 USTA TEXAS NJTL ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED

10 juniors from across the section have been selected as the 2019 USTA Texas Essay Contest winners.

The winners, who range in age from 10 to 18, were selected from more than 450 entries coming from five different National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapters throughout the section. All Texas winners are nominated for the national essay contest and a chance to attend Arthur Ashe Kids' Day in New York.

The contest was exclusive to children who participate in NJTL chapters nationwide. Students were asked to write an essay of 350 words or fewer about the following topic: "This year marks the 50th anniversary of NJTL. What specific impact do you hope your chapter can make in your community today that you would want remembered 50 years from now?"

In his essay, 10-year-old Malcolm Moore of Waxahachie wrote, “The most important thing I want this program to be known for is how we bring people together from different ethnicities and backgrounds. I’ve learned a lot by playing people who are different from me…Fifty years from now I want the DTEA to be known for developing kids to become great tennis players with good character and a good attitude on court.”

Daniela Padron-Castillo of Duncanville wrote, “While I can only speak for my experience as a proud NJTL kid, I am positive the weight of being considered from the ‘hood program’ resonates within the minds of other kids…This stigma has already started to be torn down due to my program’s efforts, yet there is still more to be done. The program should be universally accepted for the changes it creates in kids’ lives despite their backgrounds.”

The 10 winners of the 2019 USTA Texas NJTL Essay Contest are:

10U Boy – Malcolm Moore, Dallas Tennis & Education Academy

10U Girl – Isabella Barboza Leon, Dallas Tennis & Education Academy

12U Boy – Andy Trujillo, Dallas Tennis & Education Academy

12U Girl – Julian Williams, Dallas Tennis & Education Academy

14U Boy – Leo Antonio, Dallas Tennis & Education Academy

14U Girl – Giselle Murillo, Tennis Success (Corpus Christi)

16U Boy – Kien Huynh, Houston Tennis Association

16U Girl – Isabel Carreras Herrera, Dallas Tennis & Education Academy

18U Boy – Silas Sandles, Dallas Tennis & Education Academy

18U Girl – Daniela Padron-Castillo, Dallas Tennis & Education Academy