Celebrating Service, Community, and the Legacy of Katherine Ferruzzo

The National English Honor Society proudly celebrates the Katherine Ferruzzo Essay Contest,
a student writing competition honoring the life, heart, and lasting impact of Katherine Ferruzzo, a
2025 Memorial High School graduate, NEHS member, and passionate advocate for kindness
and service.

Katherine was known for leading with compassion and kindness, notably through her
involvement in Memorial High School’s special education program, where she embraced her
passion for assisting students with special needs and supporting those around her. Tragically,
Katherine was one of the many lives lost during the July 2025 Kerr County floods. Amid this
heartbreaking loss, her family and the greater community came together as a beacon of love
and support through numerous fundraisers and collaborative efforts. In her honor, the Katherine
Ferruzzo Legacy Foundation was established so that her legacy continues to inspire acts of
service, community, and hope. In remembrance of Katherine and every life taken too soon, the
National English Honor Society created this writing competition to promote literacy and
celebrate the values Katherine undeniably personified during her lifetime and continues to share
through her legacy.

To celebrate Katherine’s legacy, NEHS invited students to reflect on the prompt:
How can service and community spark hope in times of hardship?
Students responded with powerful narrative essays and poems that captured resilience,
empathy, and the transformative power of coming together.

Contest Timeline
Opened: October 24, 2025
Closed: November 14, 2025

2025 Contest Winners
First Place: Abcedarian for Keeping Hope by junior Morgan Kim (view poem)
Second Place: We Will Not Let You Go by junior Claire Sun (view poem)

The winning pieces will be published in the December issue of The Anvil and the January issue
of Swoon Magazine and will receive special recognition and prizes.

Through this contest, NEHS and the Katherine Ferruzzo Legacy Foundation joyfully celebrate
Katherine’s life by uplifting student voices and continuing her legacy of hope, service, and
community.