Matthew Lopez, eleventh grade student at West Babylon Senior High School recently placed first in the Mortimer Levitt Essay Contest, sponsored by the Writing Center at Marymount Manhattan College. The topic of the essay was "Endless trouble is the price we all must pay for the gift of life, there are no exceptions." His essay was chosen for his uncanny ability to create words that so vividly depict emotions. In honor of his accomplishment, his work will be published in Education Update and he will be honored with a $5,000 savings bond in a ceremony at the college.