YAB Ring Dinner Essay Contest

The Class of 2017 received their class rings at Ring Dinner on October 23, 2015. Each year, the Young Alumnae Board sponsors an essay contest that allows one of the juniors to receive a free ring. The members of the Executive Board vote anonymously for the winners, and two Board members attend Ring Dinner to read the winning essay.

This year’s winner was Melissa Lincoln, ’17, from Greenville, North Carolina. Her winning essay can be found below:

     Most rings worn by their owners are simply admired as pieces of jewelry that only accentuate the wearer’s outfit. They’re seen as ornamental accessories, and sometimes nothing more. But the Meredith Onyx is a beautiful symbol that represents much more than a classy accessory.
      The Onyx symbolizes a loyal community with unbreakable bonds that extends beyond the four years devoted to an academic career. Within the campus, the Onyx is an enduring sign of an unspoken sisterhood. It’s an expression of love for a faithful community that has constantly been each student’s biggest fan at any given time.
      Outside of the campus, the Onyx is a beacon to both Meredith alumnae and other community members alike. For the Meredith graduates, it’s an immediate connection that bonds current and former students together. Almost as strong as biological ties, the Onyx encourages a sisterhood among all students. For other community members, the Onyx is a prestigious symbol representative of a strong education, steadfast values, and abiding dedication to the welfare of humanity. It’s an indelible emblem of strength and commitment; of poise and connection.
      Like manifesting a person’s lifetime within the pages of a biography, wearing an Onyx is a manifestation of the endearing values that are carried with all Meredith women. The Onyx to me is a gateway to a life-changing conversation; an emblem of gratitude to the community that has forever impacted my life; an unspoken letter written to my professors, thanking them for the gift of learning that they so selflessly gave me; the shared symbol of a dream that became my reality once I embarked on the journey that Meredith invited me to explore three years ago. The Onyx has already created a story for itself, but it’s the Meredith community that gives that story life each day.