DaytonDailyNews.com

KETTERING — If you ask 8-year-old Christina Goodwill what she wants to be when she grows up, she probably will tell you that the decision is not solely hers to make.

"I might want to be a writer," the second-grader said. "But it's really a decision of God. I think if he wants me to be a writer then I'll just be one."

Well, God might have already picked out a career for the St. Albert the Great Catholic School student. Goodwill is one of three Montgomery County students chosen as winners of the 2008 Child Writing Project presented by the Columbus Children's Theatre.

The theme was "Plant a Story" and each student's entry had to be about nature or trees, according to Joelle Harris, education director for the theater.

Goodwill submitted a poem and a story, each centered on a tree, and both entries won. It was the first time the theater has chosen two pieces of work from the same student, Harris said.

"It was so well written," Harris said of Goodwill's work.

The theater will take Goodwill's work, along with the other 16 winning entries, and come up with some bridging material to turn the students' work into one 50-minute play, Harris said.

The play will be performed by the theater's touring company and shown to the winners and their families during an awards ceremony at 5 p.m. on April 12 inside the Abbey Theatre at the Dublin Community Recreation Center near Columbus. Students will receive an award certificate, copy of their work and pictures with the actors, Harris said. The Franklin Park Conservatory will also provide the winners with passes to the conservatory.

There were more than 700 submissions for the contest, Harris said. This is the 24th year for the contest.

"We do it to promote literacy," Harris said. It encourages "students in their creativity and their imagination and how they choose to express it."

Goodwill's teacher Dee Campbell describe her as very pleasant, highly motivated, and a good student. "(She's) eager to learn, listens and likes to try new things," Campbell said. "She was shocked and very happy to win the award, but at the same time, would have been happy if someone else would have won it also."

Other local winners included Shawn St. Onge and Brandon Decker of Saville Elementary in Riverside.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2414 or

kwynn@DaytonDailyNews.com.