NEW YORK, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Christophers named the three top prize winners in their annual youth contests – The Christophers’ High School Poster Contest and The Christophers’ Video Contest for College Students. This is the 35th year for the Poster Contest and the 37th year of the Video Contest, both with the timeless theme “You can make a difference,” a central idea behind programs from The Christophers, a non-profit group that both produces and honors media which reflects that concept.
“This year’s winners demonstrate the continued importance of making a difference in action by highlighting some truly exceptional individuals, who, whether giving of their time and talents to others, or raising their voices in joyful song, serve as shining beacons of light in a world too often overshadowed by darkness,” said Sarah E. Holinski, The Christophers’ Youth Coordinator.
Alyssa Pontz, a senior at Capstone Academy in Atlanta, GA, won first prize in the poster contest. Sonali Hobson, a University High School junior from Tucson, AZ, took second prize, and Aryanna Duarte, a senior at Woodside High School in Woodside, California, placed third.
Alyssa Pontz’s poster consists of a photograph of herself and a friend reading to a group of children, demonstrating how much of a difference one meaningful story can make. The phrase “You can make a difference” is printed across the top of the page in gold lettering, and “Share your light!” is written across a jagged cloudburst of yellow light below. What makes this scene all the more poignant is that Alyssa and her friend are presenting a book they illustrated and wrote themselves, respectively.
The book being read in the photo is the one on which Pontz and her friend collaborated, titled “A Guide to Butterflies (In Your Stomach): A Book for Kids’ Worries,” which focuses on how kids can handle their anxieties.
“It was special to work on the book and share it online,” Pontz said, “We got to watch them react as we read and hear their thoughts afterward. I really felt like what we had created made a difference.”
Sonali Hobson’s second place poster features two personal photos. One shows a row of uniformed children she worked with during a “mission trip to Kenya” with her church group when she was fifteen. The other is a close-up of Hobson holding one of the beaming kids in her arms. Between the two photos is a quote taken from Galatians 5:13: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. Rather, serve one another humbly, in love.” On top of the poster is a thin photo strip showing a buffalo grazing against a blue sky, along with the printed reminder, “You can make a difference.” On the left side of the poster is an outline of the country of Kenya, with the spot Hobson and her church visited clearly marked.
“We ministered to the Maasai Tribe,” Hobson said. “We built a church for a congregation that had been meeting under a tree. I didn’t want to leave them, and I prayed that God would allow our paths to cross again. There is a ripple effect from kind actions and words.”
Third place winner Aryanna Duarte’s poster displays the widespread benefits of kindness. There is a collage of photos of herself and some of the young players she worked with at EPIC (Everyone Plays in Our Community) Soccer, a community-driven initiative designed to bring together players of all skill levels and ages to enjoy the sport in a fun and inclusive environment.
“The goal was not just to develop players’ abilities,” Duarte noted, “but to foster a sense of camaraderie, sportsmanship, and love for the game. It was a rewarding experience, seeing the positive impact soccer had on their lives.”
The top prize in The Christophers’ College Video Contest went to Jake Gist, of Rockwall, TX, a Belmont University Media Production major. Second prize was awarded to Molly Giacchi, of West Seneca, NY, studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Canisius University—and Aditi Srivatsan, of Houston (TX) Community College, placed third.
Jake Gist’s first-place “SNAP News” report highlights his 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Linda Lyon, in his “Student Power, World Inspired News” video, broadcast from the Gene Burton College and Career Academy in Rockwall, TX. With photos and testimonials from some of her students, this filmed exclusive recognizes her 37 years of teaching.
Although she’s now retired, Gist says in the video, Mrs. Lyon’s desire to assist youth in her community remains as strong as ever, as evidenced by her work with Lone Star CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), created to help children that have suffered abuse or neglect.
Molly Giacchi’s second-place video, entitled “Change Someone’s World,” stars an educator who explains she is “a full-time graduate student, a full-time mom, a singer/songwriter, and a substitute teacher” at Queen of Heaven School in West Seneca, NY. Giacchi’s pastime is music, and her video consists of an original song she composed and sings, titled “To Smile,” recorded during one of her fifth-grade class’s study hall periods.
Accompanied by her ukelele, Giacchi’s song captures the heart and soul of The Christophers’ message with its simple but poignant lyrics, including the phrase, “To smile is still free, you know. To laugh costs only a breath to go. You can change the world of someone else’s world; you can stop their war today. Why not take it one world at a time?”
The video from third-place winner Aditi Srivatsan utilizes the concept of human beings as living “mosaics” to convey just how much one person can influence the life of another.
“I went on my first solo trip ever when I was 16,” Aditi recalled. “I went to Singapore and when a stranger told me to check out the mosaic, the Kampong Galem, little did I know how that mosaic would shape the way I saw myself in the future.”
“Highlighting those using their God-given talents to make a positive impact is exactly what our founder, Father Keller’s, message has been about from the very beginning,” Sarah E. Holinski, The Christophers’ Youth Coordinator, said.
Founded in 1945, The Christophers uses mass media to encourage all individuals to make a positive difference in the world, as expressed in the Christopher motto: “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”
The winning entries can be seen at https://www.christophers.org/press-releases
Media Contact:
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SOURCE The Christophers
