Eye on Ivy is a Pakistan-based student counseling firm that offers counseling services to students wishing to study at a college or university outside Pakistan. Eye on Ivy earned the first non-school Quill and Scroll charter and inducted its first members into the International Honor Society for High School Journalists. The organization inducted 12 students in the spring.

Pakistani students earn honors in editorial writing contest

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Eight students will be awarded Quill and Scroll Gold Keys for their submissions in the first Editorial Writing Contest for Pakistani students, co-sponsored by Eye on Ivy and Quill and Scroll. The winning articles proficiently described the social media affects current events in Pakistan, as well as the need to protect themselves against misinformation. Here are the winners, along with a link to the first-place editorials and a short comment from the contest’s judges, academic and professional experts in social media:

Class A (Grades 9-10)

• First Place: Zayna Ahsan “This essay starts with a detailed incident that well illustrates the issues pertaining to the prompt. The writer quickly hits all the points in pointed and concise writing. The style is journalistic, and the writer makes their points succinctly. “
• Second Place: Aleena Fatima “Although this was the briefest of the entries, the writer makes their points clearly. Written in a journalistic style, it is easy to follow the writer’s thoughts. “
• Third Place: Dua Azhar “Very well written. The writer does a nice job of elaborating on their points in engaging prose. “
• Honorable Mention: Shanzay Sajid

Class B (Grades 11-13)

• First Place: Daud Azfar “This was a very well-written and researched, journalistic paper. It started with an anecdote and was supported througout with facts and interviews. It did a good job of explaining the positives and negatives of social media. The thing that put this one over the top was the use of original reporting by the author.”
• Second Place: Umaimah Khan “Paper was very well organized, provided great information, and the writing was strong. The two anecdotes in the beginning about the use of social media in the flood and the use in politics showed the positive side of social. Then the paper went into potential negatives. This made the paper very balanced. The paper also went on to offer great solutions for this problem.“
• Third Place: Sydea Imaan Shiraz “This paper did a great defining the state of social media for young people, as well as what they have gone through in the past few years. I think where this one really excelled was in defining all of the people who have a stake in helping to solve any problems related to youth and social media.“
• Honorable Mention: Bilal Ahmad Safi

Pakistani students submitted 54 entries for the contest, and the winners are now eligible to apply for Quill and Scroll scholarships that would allow them to study journalism or take part in student media at a U.S. college or university.