Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano announces the winning student chosen from essays submitted by middle school students throughout Pasco County. Students from public, private, parochial, charter, online and home schools all entered the contest, which ran during the month of February. The entrants, students in Grades 6-8, were asked to answer the question “If you could spend tax dollars to fund any program, what would it be and why?”
A panel of judges, not knowing the age, gender, grade or school of each entrant, chose the essay written by Julia Alcocer, a student at Torchbearers’ Christian Academy in Dade City, as the winning submission. Julia’s essay best communicated her response to the topic question all while meeting the contest criteria of overall essay structure, appearance and readability.
“I am very proud of all the students who participated in this essay contest,” states Tax Collector Mike Fasano. “With some very well-written essays to choose from, the judges had a fun but difficult task to perform. Any time a student puts time and effort into their work, such as writing a lengthy essay, narrowing excellent choices down to one overall winner is always a tough call to make. However, Julia Alcocer’s essay stood out as the clear choice among many excellent entries. I would like to thank Principal Janice Yarbrough and her staff at Torchbearers’ Christian Academy for encouraging their students to participate in the contest.”
Julia Alcocer was awarded a $300 VISA gift card for her winning essay. All entrants in the contest received a personal letter from Tax Collector Mike Fasano thanking them for their participation in the contest.
The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office plans on conducting the essay contest again in 2021. Students who did not win this year may have the opportunity to enter again during the next school year if they are still in middle school. Additionally, the student essay contest is just one of many community-related events the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office participates in throughout the year. For more details about next year’s contest or other upcoming promotions and activities coordinated by the tax collector’s office, please do not hesitate to contact Greg Giordano, Assistant Tax Collector at 727-847-8179 or visit www.pascotaxes.com