Two young students share top honors in Project HumaneKind’s first Writers of Compassion competition: Nick Hartwig, an eighth grader at Hillview Middle School in Menlo Park, and Emmaline Lee, a seventh grader at Greene Middle School in Palo Alto. Middle school students were asked to write about how animals and people help each other, and our winners responded with stories of compassionate acts of rescue. Nick writes in the Heart of Willow Park: “Kindness is not just an action but a crucial thread that weaves individuals together, creating a cloth of support that uplifts everyone.” In The Story of Riley and Baxter, Emmaline describes a rescue of a shelter puppy and the help that gesture gave her protagonist: “Neither of them was perfect. But they weren’t alone. And that made all the difference.”
Asked about motivation for their stories, Nick says: “I wrote a story about pet kindness because I believe animals deserve love, care, and respect just like people do. Pets give us so much joy, and showing them kindness helps build a strong bond.”
Emmaline describes her thoughts: “I chose to write about Riley and Baxter because I see a lot of myself in Riley. Baxter reminds me of my guinea pigs. When I feel anxious after a long day at school, just seeing them gives me a sense of comfort. Through this story, I wanted to show how meaningful it can be to have a companion who helps you feel calm and supported, and how caring for them in return can bring a deep sense of connection.”
Read their stories here