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Breaking Barriers essay winners a courageous duo

An essay about overcoming school bullying due to stuttering and a courageous account of growing up in a difficult home environment were selected as the two Grand Prize winners from more than 16,000 entries in the 2015 Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life Essay Contest, announced Tuesday by Major League Baseball and Scholastic.

Malcolm Venable, a fourth-grader from New Orleans and member of the New Orleans MLB Urban Youth Academy, was selected for his essay about bullying. Kayla Savory, a ninth-grade student from Riverbank, Calif., won the other top prize for an essay describing her courage, determination and commitment to overcome domestic turmoil.