Eight local students were among 16 throughout Maryland recognized by Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael S. Steele, State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick, and members of the Maryland State Board of Education for receiving the 2002 Achievement Award in Writing from the National Council of Teachers of English.

Lieutenant Governor Steele presented a citation from the Governor to each student, and the State Board of Education presented certificates of recognition.

Each participating student submitted a sample of writing that the student considered his or her best work, regardless of the amount of revision. In addition, each student, working under teacher supervision, was required to write a response to an impromptu theme in no more than 75 minutes. Teams of high school and college English instructors evaluated the entries for content and form.

The student winners from Montgomery County Public Schools are:

Michael Beder, Winston Churchill High School
Sarah Fitch, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Anna Lvovsky, Thomas S. Wootton High School
Lauren E. Seffel, Richard Montgomery High School
Carolyn J. Sinnett, Colonel Zadok Magruder High School
Hannah Woolf, Quince Orchard High School
Xiao-bo Yuan, Colonel Zadok Magruder High School
Danielle Zilberstein, Winston Churchill High School