Student Finalists Named in Maltz Museum’s Stop the Hate^® Contest: Winners to Be Announced at Ceremony on April 3, 2025

BEACHWOOD – March 5, 2025 – The Maltz Museum proudly announces the 2025 Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out and Youth Sing Out Awards finalists. Winners will be named on Thursday, April 3, at an awards ceremony at the Tri-C Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus, Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center. The community is invited to attend this free event. Seating is limited and advanced registration is required at: https://www.maltzmuseum.org/events/17th-annual-stop-the-hate-awards-ceremony/

This year, 4,419 students at more than 160 Northeast Ohio schools participated in the Stop the Hate contest and workshops, writing individual essays, poems, or group songs for a chance to win academic scholarships, educational grants, and prizes for themselves and their schools. Stop the Hate, the Maltz Museum's signature educational program, serves Northeast Ohio students and school communities by encouraging personal storytelling that builds bridges and creates empathy. Through this program, students gain awareness of hate-related issues, discrimination, bullying, etc., while being inspired to courageously create positive change when facing these challenges. The program celebrates Northeast Ohio students committed to creating a more accepting and inclusive society.

Through the generosity of Milton and Tamar Maltz, the Maltz Museum’s Stop the Hate contest annually awards $100,000 to Northeast Ohio middle and high school students, teachers, and schools who are committed to create a more accepting and inclusive society. 

The Maltz Museum is proud to acknowledge the unwavering support of the Stop the Hate program’s presenting sponsors The Semi J. and Ruth W. Begun Foundation and Maltz Family Foundation; as well as signature sponsors: Chelm Family Foundation, Cleveland Cavaliers, Tri-C Cuyahoga Community College, Dealer Tire, Enbridge Gas Ohio, The Harry K. and Emma Fox Charitable Foundation, John and Peggy Garson Family Foundation, Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation, The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, David and Inez Myers Foundation, Nordson Corporation Foundation, Robert H. Reakirt Foundation, and Helen F. Stolier and Louis Stolier Family Foundation.

Since Stop the Hate began, over 50,000 students in 15 counties across Northeast Ohio have participated, and $1.7 million has been awarded to students and schools.

Stop the Hate Contest Finalists

Youth Speak Out – Essay Finalists

Although every participating student will receive a congratulatory Upstander Certificate, and all participating workshop schools will share an award, the big awards will go to the essay finalists vying for scholarships, educational grants and prizes up to $20,000. 

Awards for Grades 11 & 12

• Grand Scholarship Winner: $20,000 scholarship + $5,000 anti-bias education grant for their school
• 1st Runner-Up: $10,000 scholarship + $2,000 anti-bias education grant for their school
• 2nd Runner-Up: $5,000 scholarship + $2,000 anti-bias education grant for their school
• (7) Honorable Mentions: $1,000 cash prize + $500 anti-bias education grant for their school

Grade 12 Finalists

Will Colafella, Hudson High School

Angela Freeman, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School

Mackenzie Lane Frost, Aurora High School

Manisha K. Girn, Aurora High School

Rania Rafiq, Aurora High School

Tori Smith, Magnificat High School

Lamaree DeShae White, Rhodes School of Environmental Studies

Grade 11 Finalists

Sana Hameed, North Royalton High School

Amelia Kilway, Aurora High School

Nandita Srikumar, Solon High School

Awards for Grades 6 – 10

• 1st Place winners in each grade receive a $400 cash prize.
• Runners-Up in each grade receive a $100 cash prize.

Grade 10 Finalists

Jashmina Bista, Cleveland School of Science and Medicine

Addison Captain, Shaker Heights High School

Grade 9 Finalists

Rebecca Chelbezan, Kenston High School

Lyla Levin, Laurel School

Grade 8 Finalists

Abby Gourley, Beachwood Middle School

Sophia Tsuang, Laurel School

Grade 7 Finalists

Asha R. Bauer, Hathaway Brown

Farai Amanda Chiunda, Beachwood Middle School

Grade 6 Finalists

Adeline Chalker, Harding Middle School

Mia Schilkowski, Hudson Middle School

Finalist Selection: Youth Speak Out Essay Judges

• Jessica Daigler, Director of LeadDIVERSITY, The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio
• Eduardo Kim, Partner, Thompson Hine LLP
• Lisa Kollins, Executive Director, The Superhero Project
• John Panza, Associate Professor, English, Honors Coordinator, Tri-C Cuyahoga Community College, Eastern Campus
• Michele Pomerantz, Chief of Education, Office of the Mayor, The City of Cleveland

New for 2025: Live Judging of Top Three Essays 

This year’s Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out essay contest top three winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges live at the awards program.

Michael A. Baston, J.D., Ed.D., President, Tri-C Cuyahoga Community College

Alexandra Wainwright, Stop the Hate ’16, Associate, Jones Day

Surprise Executive from our partners at the Cleveland Cavaliers

Youth Speak Out – Poetry Finalists 

Awards for High School Poetry

• 1st Place Winner: $2,500 cash prize + $2,000 grant for their school 
• 2nd Place Winner: $1,500 case prize + $1,000 grant for their school
• 3rd Place Winner: $1,000 case prize + $1,000 grant for their school. 
• (3) Honorable Mentions: $600 cash prize 

High School Finalists

Rebecca Ester, Grade 11, Glenville High School

Teresa Gladish, Grade 11, Twinsburg High School

Roman Hoyle-Smith, Grade 10, Oberlin High School

Cara Miller, Grade 10, Garfield Heights High School

Martha Louise Röseler, Grade 10, Kirtland High School

Nicholas Stalnaker, Grade 10, Oberlin High School

Awards for Middle School Poetry

• 1st Place Winner: $400 cash prize 
• 2nd Place Winner: $300 cash prize 
• 3rd Place Winner: $200 cash prize
• (3) Honorable Mentions: $100 cash prize.

Middle School Finalists

Zoey Bloom, Grade 6, North Ridgeville Academic Center

Ella Bogniard, Grade 6, Hudson Middle School

Elliot Gionfriddo, Grade 6, North Ridgeville Academic Center

Madelyn Kimberly, Grade 7, North Ridgeville Academic Center

Miina Tabata, Grade 8, Hudson Middle School

Lam Tran, Grade 8, Hudson Middle School

Finalist Selection: Youth Speak Out Poetry Judges

• DaQuala Hunt, Author, Poet, Spoken Word Artist
• Ygal Kaufman, Multiple Media Journalist, Ideastream Public Media
• Sergio Roper, Poet, Teaching Artist, Wick Poetry Center, Kent State University 
• Michelle Smith, Programming Director, Literary Cleveland
• Rachel Zake Ozan, Writer/Director/Actor

Youth Sing Out– Songwriting Winners

Winners in middle and high school categories receive:

• 1st place in both categories receives a $3,500 anti-bias education grant for their school.
• 2nd runner-up in both categories receives a $2,000 anti-bias education grant for their school.

High School Winners

Collinwood High School, First Place High School, “Everyone is Equal”

Shaw High School, Runner-Up High School, “Weak People with Power”

Middle School Winners 

Milkovich Middle School, First Place Middle School, “Stop the Violence”

Harding Middle School, Runner-Up Middle School, “Listen to our Words”

Finalist Selection: Youth Sing Out Judges 

• Kathryn Clusman, Director of Education and Community Engagement, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
• Edward P. Gallagher, Vice President for Education, The Beck Center for the Arts
• Jeff Niesel, Music Editor, Cleveland Scene
• Treva Offutt, Director of Education, Playhouse Square
• Jason Weiner, Philanthropic Advisor, Cleveland Foundation

Anti-Bias Community Grants

Educators in Northeast Ohio dedicated to fostering inclusive learning environments within their classrooms and communities were eligible to apply for one of three $6,000 Stop the Hate Anti-Bias Community grants. This year, these grants funded educational experiences that promote unity, understanding, and commitment to stopping hate for both students and educators.

Congratulations to our three grantees:

• Incarnate Word Academy
• Urban Community School
• Windham Jr. Sr. High School

17th Annual Stop the Hate Awards Ceremony

Join us for the Stop the Hate awards ceremony, where we will announce this year’s winners of our essay, poetry, and songwriting contests. Two Teachers of the Year awards will also be named at the event.

• Meet our student essay and poetry finalists for 6th to 12th grade, who collectively will take home $100,000 in scholarships, educational grants and prizes.
• Watch live judging to see who will win the top three essay scholarships.
• Hear the winning Youth Sing Out songs performed by the winning schools.

Be inspired by the next generation of voices, representing different cultures, backgrounds, and identities—all raising their voices to create positive change in our communities.

When: Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Where: Tri-C Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus, Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center. 

4250 Richmond Road, Highland Hills, OH 44122 

Please enter from Harvard Road. Complimentary parking is available in lot B2.

Free to attend. Advanced registration is encouraged. Register at https://www.maltzmuseum.org/events/17th-annual-stop-the-hate-awards-ceremony/

About Stop the Hate

Now in its 17th year, Stop the Hate is the Maltz Museum's signature educational program, serving Northeast Ohio students and school communities through opportunities that encourage personal storytelling to build bridges and create empathy. Through this program, students gain awareness of issues of hate, discrimination, bullying, etc., while also being inspired to courageously create positive change when faced with these challenges. This Maltz Museum initiative celebrates Northeast Ohio students committed to creating a more accepting and inclusive society.

As of April 2025, the total amount of scholarships, prizes, and anti-bias education grants awarded through the contest to Northeast Ohio students, teachers, and schools is $1.7 million.

For more information about the program please visit maltzmuseum.org or contact education@mmjh.org.

About the Maltz Museum
Opened in 2005 in a collaboration between The Maltz Family Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Centennial Initiative, and The Temple-Tifereth Israel with research support from the Western Reserve Historical Society, the Maltz Museum is rooted in the Jewish value of respect for all humanity, building bridges of tolerance and understanding by sharing Jewish heritage through the lens of the American experience. The Maltz Museum is dedicated to exploring diverse stories of courage from history and today, with a commitment to education and learning so there can be a more inclusive tomorrow. Learn more at www.MaltzMuseum.org.

Location, Admission, & Hours

The Maltz Museum is located at 2929 Richmond Road in Beachwood, OH. 

• Admission: $12 adults, $10 seniors (60+) and students, $5 youth (5-11), and FREE for Maltz Museum Members and children under 5. 
• Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11 am -5 pm, Wednesday, 11 am – 9 pm. Closed on Mondays and most major holidays. 

Museums for All

We offer free general admission to individuals and families with a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card or a Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) card. Visitors must present a valid form of photo ID. To claim free tickets, please call 216-593-0575 before visiting.