Lifetime Television today announced Anta James the winner of its national essay contest encouraging women to make their dreams a reality. Anta, a health program manager in Jacksonville, Florida, and one guest will travel to Los Angeles to attend the season finale of "American Idol(R)." The contest was launched in conjunction with the Lifetime Original Movie about "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino, "The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairy Tale." The movie followed Fantasia's journey from her complicated childhood to her triumphant success on the third season of "American Idol" and was Lifetime's most watched movie of all time, garnering more than 19 million viewers in its premiere weekend.
The national essay contest asked contestants to answer the question, "What is your life long dream and what steps must you take to achieve it?" In her winning essay, Anta shared how the experiences she had as a youth in Senegal shaped her dream of becoming a doctor and influenced her decision to pursue a life dedicated to helping others. "Growing up in Senegal, I saw poverty and sickness coexist with glamour and flashy cars. Images of sick children, ailing mothers and unemployed fathers have always haunted me," she said. Anta traveled from Senegal to the United States to study economics and international studies on a college scholarship. Driven by a desire to use her knowledge to help underserved communities, Anta has decided to take one more step toward achieving her dream of becoming a doctor by applying to medical school next year.
"I want to take vital health education to people in remote rural areas of Africa, where TV and radio ads about HIV and AIDS and social awareness campaigns do not reach. I want to actively participate in vaccination drives where a simple inoculation can save the life of a child. After years of longing for the day when I would be able to bring these services to the most underserved populations of our world, I have decided to take concrete steps toward my lifelong dream," said Anta.
"We are thrilled to announce Anta James the winner of this special essay contest," said Meredith Wagner, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, Lifetime Television.
"Like Fantasia has been, Anta is a source of encouragement and inspiration to all women who aspire to make their dreams come true. Through her hard work, dedication and passion, she will continue to make a difference in the lives of others."
The contest was part of a multi-faceted public service initiative to raise awareness of the issues that Fantasia and many women and families experience -- ranging from low self-esteem to low literacy skills -- and to encourage viewers to make a difference in their own communities. Judges included leading organizations such as Girls Inc., the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the National Center for Family Literacy, RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), Save the Children and the YWCA of the USA. Ms. James's essay will be posted on http://www.lifetimetv.com/. "The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairy Tale" is available on iTunes.
