Young Writers “Keep Smiling”
at
Marymount Manhattan College
by Michelle Accorso
Mortimer Levitt’s philosophy of “keep
smiling” was the theme for a recent essay contest held
at Marymount Manhattan College. The now ninety-seven year old
Levitt, upon current completion of his book Ninety Six Years
Old and Too Busy to Die,
was not only at the congratulatory ceremony to honor the winners
of the contest, but along with wife Mimi, was the sole provider
of the awards.
Levitt has dabbled in
more than just writing. He is an art gallery owner, a former
Broadway producer, responsible for providing thirty-four
free summer concerts in Memorial Park and the man behind
the name of Mortimer’s Restaurant
on the corner of 75th and Lexington. Known throughout the city
of New York as a philanthropist, Levitt spared no generosity
with the essay contest winners, with prizes ranging from five
hundred to five thousand dollars.
Among the winners were
honorable mentions’ Jilda
Caccavo, Raya Dimitrova, Gabriel Williams, Mary Leonardo, Zinasia
Henry and Elena M. Ciccotelli. Third place went to Anna Ngai
along with the award of five hundred dollars. Daniel Matthews
received second place and one thousand dollars. The winner
of first place and $5000 was Svetlana Azova from Midwood High
School, whose essay is featured below.
A Woman With a Disability and a Whole Lot of Determination
Thump, thump, thump.
The moment is slowly approaching. Thump, thump, thump. It’s down to two. Thump, thump,
thump. Hearts are beating faster and faster. Thump, thump,
thump. Adrenaline is rising. Thump, thump, thump. The suspense
is too much to handle. Thump. “And the winner of the
Miss America Pageant is…”
Imagine
growing up knowing that you’re lacking something that
everyone around you is blessed with having; being unable
to do the things that others are capable of
doing because you have a disability. Such was the case for
an unfortunate Heather Whitestone. Heather was born in Dothan,
Alabama in April of 1973. At just 18 months of age, she became
severely ill and was hours before dying when the doctors
decided to take a chance at trying to save her life by giving
her very powerful antibiotics. These antibiotics were successful
in saving her life but not without consequences. They caused
nerve damage in her ears, which in turn made Heather deaf.
Heather’s
deafness played a big and devastating role in bringing out
obstacles and hardships, which Heather and her parents had
to face. One of the biggest problems for Heather’s
parents was teaching their daughter to speak. After much
discussion and decision-making, her parents decided to use
acoupedics, which teaches deaf children to use their residual
hearing to learn to speak. Heather’s hearing was improved
by a hearing aid and she eventually learned to read lips
and to speak. This program greatly helped Heather overcome
at least one of her obstacles and provided her with an opportunity
to attend public school.
As a young child, Heather
developed a special love for dancing. Dance used body language,
not words, to express emotion. As a child with a disability,
dance was Heather’s
refuge. She would turn to ballet when things were tough and
when she felt disconnected with the rest of the world. Dancing
was Heather’s way of expressing herself and making her
feel like she had a purpose in life, despite her deafness.
While struggling with school and other hardships, like her
parents’ divorce, Heather was continuing to develop her
talent, which she saw as a blessing from God. As her dancing
talent was improving, she began entering certain contests and
pageants. In 1992 and 1993, Heather was first runner-up in
the Miss Alabama Pageant. Heather was devastated, knowing that
she came so close but was still unable to make it all the way
to the top. As she was about to give up, her perseverance stepped
in and she once again competed in the Miss Alabama Pageant
in 1994. This was a special year for Heather because all of
her hard work and determination finally paid off when she was
crowned Miss Alabama. That same year, Heather went on to compete
in the Miss America Pageant. She wowed both the audience and
the judges. When a decision finally had to be made…
“… Heather Whitestone!” Applause
and cheering roared from the approving and excited audience.
Heather’s disability prevented her from hearing this
miraculous announcement. Only when the first runner-up patted
her on the shoulder and pointed at her, did Heather realize
that she became Miss America. Overfilled with joy and tears,
she proudly accepted her crown. Heather not only became the
first deaf Miss America, but also the first Miss America with
any kind of disability. Through this incredible honor, Heather
proved to herself and to the rest of the world that you can
overcome all difficulties and obstacles to make your dreams
come true. She showed everyone that all you have to do to succeed
is just to believe in yourself and have a whole lot of perseverance.
She also paved the way for others with a disability to follow
their dreams and achieve their goals. Heather Whitestone became
a worldwide icon to people with disabilities and people with
all dreams because she didn’t give up and kept on smiling.#
