The 2019 League of Women Voters of White Plains Marge Davies Memorial Scholarshipwas awarded to White Plains High School Senior, Louis Melendez Sanchez. Mr. Melendez Sanchez was recognized for his inolvement in Youth Court and for his work in petitioning the New York State legislature for the Raise the Age bill, intended to keep juvniles under the age of 18 out of the adult criminal justice system. 

In his essay, Mr. Melendez Sanchez described a thoughtful journey of self-discovery in an effort to find common ground on an important issue of public policy. He wrote, “… debate divided us. It became clear that only open minds would resolve our problem … I began to appreciate the power of respectful listening and a willingness to change.” 

The award was presented during the White Plains High School senior awards ceremony by League president, Stephen Cohen. In presentng the award, Mr. Cohen said that these sentiments are in keeping with the League’s mission to encourage civil discourse in the effort to reach common ground on complex issues.

Each year, our scholarship winner is selected from among essays written by White Plains High School graduating seniors. The essays are read without identification by members of the LWVWP Youth Programs committee chaired by Ruth Goldberg. For further information contact Henruhen [at] gmail.com (Ruth Goldberg by email).