It pays to be nice.
Flushing first-grader Isabella Taxilaga discovered just how much when her sweet masterpiece about kindness won first place in a national student essay-writing contest, earning the budding PS 122 writer a jackpot of prizes, including a cool grand for her school.
The pint-sized philanthropist’s stirring composition, capped by a colorful drawing of two smiling girls with a large red heart between them, aced the competition — from Delaware to California — in the Be Kind People Project’s “Kindness is the Key to Unblocking Good Character” competition for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Isabella’s essay tugged on heartstrings with such golden nuggets of wisdom as “Kindness is everything!” “Being kind is important, because when you do something kind to people they do it back,” and “Kindness is important because if you’ve been mean to someone, you could change it with kindness!”
Kind acts are routine for the big-hearted 6-year-old, who recently pulled off a gem for her little brother, Noah, 5.
“He had a hard time getting to sleep, so I let him sleep with me,” said Isabella, who won a personalized, congratulatory Be Kind Pledge banner for her school, Amazon gift cards for herself and her teacher Stephanie Lupoli, and a chance for her classmates to chat online with members of the Be Kind Crew.
The Arizona-based organization helps grade-schoolers thank their teachers, and build healthy and positive relationships with character-empowering tools, including the Be Kind Pledge.
Students who take the oath commit to be encouraging, supportive, positive, helpful, honest, considerate, thankful, responsible, respectful, and friendly citizens, claimed the group’s CEO.
“This is a powerful lesson that can spread from one student to the next, from the classroom to the community, and ultimately, to the nation at large,” said Lisa Hartsock.
Williamsburg student Noah Fequiere was also named a winner.
The PS 196 fifth-grader, who won a gift card, reflected, “You must be kind to others, so they will be kind to you.”
View Isabella’s and Noah’s entries, and other winning submissions, at TheBeKindPeopleProject.org.
