Fifth-grader receives certificate, lunch from National Geographic

LYNN – Ingalls Elementary School fifth-grader Katie Osorio won a National Geographic essay contest written about how she would improve her community.Osorio wrote about how she would clean up the Lynn beach area.Osorio earned the distinction of being the only student on the North Shore to win one of the awards out of the 400 essays entered.?I was excited,” Osorio said when she found out she won. “I thought I wasn?t going to win. I thought they were going to choose somebody else. I am proud of myself.”Osorio?s science teacher, Patricia Hebert, had her entire class write essays for the contest.?I got an e-mail from the principal asking if we would be interested in doing this,” Hebert said. “I thought, ?yes, definitely!?”Osorio decided she wanted to write about the beach.?I once went to the beach and there was a lot of trash there,” Osorio said. “I thought we should maybe pick it up and start a cleaning group.”Osorio also illustrated a drawing of her cleaning company to go along with her winning essay.The winners got to enjoy a lunch at Anthony?s Pier 4, where they were presented with certificates and got to meet anthropologist Mireya Mayor, a host on the National Geographic?s Wild channel. Mayor discussed her career with the winners and her crazy adventures with animals.Osorio was amazed by Mayor.?I liked how she talked about exploring and helping animals,” Osorio said.National Geographic made sure to highlight each child?s achievement.?They made each child felt welcomed,” reading teacher Tara Friedman said. “They made each child feel special. I thought it was awesome that they took the time with each kid.”The highlight of the afternoon for the fifth-grader was when her parents arrived.?I didn?t think they were coming because of work,” she said. “I was surprised.”Both of Osorio?s teachers are very proud of her. “I am so proud of her,” Hebert said. “Oh my goodness, I was ecstatic when I found out. I was jumping up and down.”Osorio likes to pretend she?s a teacher with her brother and sister, which some day may lead her to a career in teaching.?It just feels exciting to me,” Osorio said. “I have always wanted to be a teacher.”