Not Worthless
Slater, Hannah
Grade: 11
School: Fargo North High School, Fargo ND
Educator: Lori Koenig
AWARD: Silver Key
As the little girl with the pink ribbon sits alone on the swing staring at her lunch box, the principal watches as she slowly eats her lunch all by herself. He decides to go out and talk to her. Grabbing some paper clips from the top of his desk he walks to the little girl.
“You know, you don’t always have to eat alone.”
“No one wants to sit with me,” she doesn’t look up from her food.
The old principal sits next to her on the other swing. He pulls out a paper clip and holds it up for her to see.
“This paper clip looks boring, doesn’t it?” he asks. The girl nods. “But like your ribbon, it has many uses. You aren’t boring, people just don’t see what you can do, yet.”
Her big, round eyes look upon his kind-filled face, smiling down on her. He hands this little girl a paper clip. She smiles back. Squeezing her little hand over the paperclip.
“Don’t let anyone say you are boring and if they do, tell them that you can do many things if you put your mind to it.” He gets up from the swing and continues to watch as the little girl grows...
