Student artwork and essays provide fresh perspective

The once-imagined Bayhealth Sussex Campus became a reality when it opened its doors in February 2019. The community had a front-row seat to the transformation of healthcare, which yielded a perspective on the historic project from a very important audience: our youth.

The Sussex Campus Art and Essay Contest invited students from surrounding elementary schools and middle schools to submit a work of art or short essay in response to one of the following prompts:

• Why do you think Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus is an important part of our community?
• What does it mean to you or your family to have a hospital close to home?

Bayhealth received over 150 submissions from a mix of public, private and home schools. After each was carefully reviewed and scored, winners were determined for each grade, in each category, and prizes were awarded throughout the following weeks. The contest was an overwhelming success thanks to the students’ willingness to share their stories and ideas. They creatively expressed gratitude, imagination and ambition in ways that only kids can, and contributed an untapped perspective on the Bayhealth Sussex Campus.

Bayhealth would like to congratulate all of the winners on a job well done, and would especially like to recognize the contest’s grand prize recipients, Natalie Lewis and Alli Parisi. Natalie, a 7th-grade home school student, earned the middle school grand prize with her outstanding artwork, and Alli, also an artist, was awarded the elementary school grand prize as a 4th-grader at Lulu Ross Elementary.

Bayhealth is grateful to each of the students, teachers and administrators that helped to make the Sussex Campus Art and Essay Contest a success and tell the story of this historic project.

Visit Bayhealth.org/Art-and-Essay to view a collection of the top Sussex Campus Art and Essay Contest Submissions, along with additional photos of the winners.