2017 Public Health Perspective
Essay Contest
The 15th annual Teen Public Health Perspective was sponsored by the Wayne County
Board of Health in partnership with Wayne County Health Department and the Wayne Council on
Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention.
The Charles T. Gibson Teen Health Perspective Essay Contest is one of our organization?s strategies
to make a difference in the areas of public health that concern our citizens by gaining the knowledge
of our young leaders. The Health Education Division of the Health Department established an Abstinence
Essay Contest in 2003 to encourage teens to consider why abstinence is the best and only 100% choice in
the prevention of teenage pregnancy. However, in 2014, the contest was expanded to include additional
public health issues identified in the Wayne County Community Health Assessment. Eligible students of
Wayne County in grades 9th ? 12th (public, private and homeschooled) wrote essays on public health topics
that reflected an issue in our county and provided possible solutions to resolve it. Students wrote on
various topics like Mental Health, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Disease Prevention, Substance Abuse,
Adolescent Sexual Education and Suicide.
Sponsorship from Wayne County?s Board of Health contributed to the First place winner receiving a
$1,000 scholarship and a $75 gift card, Second place winner receiving a $500 scholarship and $50 gift card.
Third place winner receiving a $300 scholarship and $50 gift card.

From left to right are Board of Health Chair
Robert Cagle, III, 1st Place Winner Dalton Ira, 11th Grade,
Rosewood High School, and Charles Gibson outstanding Board
of Health Member

From left to right are Board of Health Chair
Robert Cagle, III, 2nd Place Winner Makaila Colebrook, 10th
Grade, Eastern Wayne High School, and Charles Gibson outstanding
Board of Health Member

From left to right are Board of Health Chair
Robert Cagle, III, 3rd Place Winner, Ameila Marriner, 12th
Grade, Wayne School of Engineering, and Charles Gibson outstanding
Board of Health Member

From left to right are Charles Gibson outstanding
Board of Health Member, Dalton Ira, Makaila Colebrook, Amelia
Marriner, Davin Madden, Health Director..

From left to right are Brittney Davis, Health
Educator, Makaila Colebrook, Dalton Ira, Amelia Marriner and
Celita Graham, Health Education Supervisor.
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