Oakbrook student is out to make history in writing contest

An Oakbrook Elementary sixth-grade student's dream of making history has already earned her recognition in a statewide essay contest.

Miranda Davis placed first in the sixth-grade level essay contest "I Can Make History," sponsored by CBS and Kroger.

She received a free laptop computer for her essay "Crash! Bang! Pop! Viola - A Time Machine" about African American inventor Ronald Mallet. 

"Miranda is quite brilliant with the written word," her teacher William Mader said. "Miss Davis is creative and takes her own unique approach to most tasks; she is able to take this viewpoint and express it throughout her writing - creating works that are one of a kind, and most certainly identifiable as Miranda's creation!."

For her essay, Davis was asked to write about an African American who was an important figure in history. 

She chose to write about Mallett because of his dream to create the first time machine. 

"A lot of people are telling him it can never be done, but he is keeping at it," she said. "I admire his persistence."

Davis said she enjoys writing because it helps her address things she may be thinking about in her life.

"It is a way I like to let my emotions out," she said. "I can write about real-life situations in a fictional way."