By VINCE REMBULAT

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin

RIPON – Students at Ripon Unified used the Bob Camden Inspirational Essay Contest to pay homage to a family member or coach.

“The essays were very personal,” said Evelyn Moore, a Give Every Child A Chance board member.

At last Monday’s RUSD meeting, she was on hand to recognize the seven winners of this inaugural competition to Ripon. The project had been exclusive to the neighboring Manteca Unified School District prior to this year.

“We opened our budget and expanded the contest to Ripon, Escalon and Tracy,” Moore said.

Honored were Erica Simas (Park View) Joseph Gilbreath (Ripon Elementary) and Zachary Angel (Weston) in the fourth- through sixth- grade category.

Kaylee DeRuyter (Park View), Het Trivedi (Ripon Elementary) and Marissa Regalo (Weston) were the seventh- and eighth- grade winners.

Joshua Angel of Ripon High claimed ninth- through 12th- grades prize.

Moore, who is also a long-time trustee at MUSD – she’s the current board president – indicated that she received nearly 450 essays in Ripon.

Students wrote about “The Most Inspirational Person I have Ever Met or Known.”

The late Bob Camden was a friend to GECAC founder Antone E. Raymus. He was remembered as an English teacher at Manteca High.

According to Moore, Camden was viewed by students along with his fellow teachers as an individual who could challenge those around him to appreciate the classics and the beauty of the written word.

She’s looking forward to seeing more students in RUSD compete in next year’s essay contest.