Junior Audrey McGovern and senior Cassidy Burnett were recently awarded a first place distinction in this year’s Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity Essay and Art competitions.

According to the  elieweiselfoundation.org website, Weisel, a Holocaust survivor, and his wife founded the organization after he was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace.  The Foundation for Humanity’s goal is to serve as a catalyst for change and action.

McGovern won for her essay entitled “Absence of Empathy” and Burnett won for her artwork.