Josiah Titus-Glover’s Essay Awarded Top Ten
Josiah Titus-Glover (2004 – 2014) was a 5th grader at Wheeling Country Day School when he was asked by his teacher to participate in a contest for student writers. The prompt: 500 words on any topic of your choosing. An imaginative and creative thinker, Josiah took the ordinary assignment and created a piece truly unique.
Leaving Your Mark
by Josiah Titus-Glover
I have memories of a place I do not remember. The memories are so vivid, so I know it is not a dream. I do not remember it well, but I will tell you what remains. The place looks as if you are entering a subway. But once you are in there, there is a spray of water flowing over you, falling into a gutter on the other side. As I remember, we were with my dad. He was on a business trip as an ambassador for Orrick in Paris.
Once you go through the water-gate, there were huge aquariums full of exotic fish, and even some you could find right here in Schenk lake. There were perch, sunfish, flounder, bass, crappie, angelfish, gar, almost any fish you could think of was sure to be there. The aquariums were in an arched shape, and you felt as if you could just walk right through the glass and touch the fish, every one of them. And they weren’t afraid of you, they would just come up to you, and stare at you, expecting to be fed. They had a calm expression, and a graceful way of moving, as if they were expecting you to come admire them.
When you left, and we were going back up the stairs, you could see the Eiffel Tower right there gleaming in the sun. At that time it had a ring of stars on it; the symbol of the European Union. The tower is a true landmark of Paris. It gives you a sense of how small we really are, and just how much we can achieve.
Josiah’s essay, “Leaving Your Mark”, was selected from thousands of entries as one of the ten best in his division. The contest was held for students in grades 4th through 12th, with divisions ranging 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. The top ten essays in each division will be honored in the published essay anthology Celebrating What Is Important to Me.
To publish work is a great accomplishment for any writer, especially one only 10 years of age. However, the news is bitter-sweet and coincidentally comes at a time when many honor Josiah’s memory with “random acts of kindness”. In November of 2014, just shortly after writing this essay, Josiah Titus-Glover was taken in a tragic accident. The Wheeling community immediately came together to grieve with the Titus-Glovers, and although the grieving may never stop, the same community has now taken to honoring his memory in an iconic way. Known for his random acts of kindness, those touched by him are celebrating his birthday by sharing their own random acts of kindness on social media. It goes without saying that the aspiring inventor, talented writer and remarkable individual, Josiah Titus-Glover, has more than “left his mark” on this world. If you would like to honor Josiah’s memory, please share your random act of kindness by using the hashtag #remeberingjojo.
Wheeling Country Day School is an independent school for preschool through fifth grade and is fully accredited by the Independent School Association of the Central States (ISACS). For more information on the school or ways you can support the campaign, visit www.wcdsedu.com or call (304) 232-2430.