NASHUA — Pennichuck Middle School seventh grader Ava Durden has been selected as one of 23 Merit Award recipients out of more than 600,000 entries from around the world in this year’s 36th annual Lions International Peace Poster contest.
Ava was also one of only four middle-schoolers in the United States to receive the honor, the others coming from Florida, Georgia and Wyoming.
Her selection is one of many highlights of the Nashua Lions Club’s 100th anniversary, club president Erin Hendrickson noted.
”We couldn’t be more proud of Ava,” Hendrickson said. “And what a way for us to cap off our 100th anniversary year.”
The original pool of some 600,000 entries came from students in more than 60 nations worldwide, including China, Korea, Taiwan, Colombia, Estonia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Club members in charge of the contest, the theme of which was “Dare to Dream,” eventually narrowed the field of entries to 115, from which they chose the 23 Merit Award winners.
Ava’s journey to top honors began when she entered, and won, the Nashua Lions Club contest last year.
Her entry then went on to the regional contest sponsored by Lions District 44H, where District Gov. Kamal Masand selected it the winner.
Ava then moved on to the state level, where Council Chairman Eric Lindberg chose her to represent New Hampshire.
