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Arlington Public Schools announces the winners of the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Literary and Visual Arts contest. This year marks the 53rd year that Arlington County and APS have come together to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy.
APS students at all grade levels were asked to participate in the contest, and this year we received over 600 entries from our schools and programs. Students submitted outstanding pieces of artwork, poetry and essays. Twelve entries were chosen in this year’s contest. The winners will be recognized virtually during the Thu, Jan. 19 School Board meeting at 7 p.m.
This Year’s Topic: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke up for people who were being treated unfairly. Dr. King explained that it is our responsibility to do something when we see someone being treated unfairly because of their race, skin color or other identity, even if those people are not like us. He believed we should care about fairness for everyone. In his renowned essay “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” If we don’t speak up for all people who are treated unfairly, it has a negative effect on us all.
Prompt: Describe in writing or visual art a time when you saw someone treated unfairly because of what they looked like or who they were; OR an event in history where people were treated unfairly because of what they looked like or who they were.
Literary Arts Winners
Grades K-2
- 1st Place – Vivian Sunderland, Taylor Elementary School, 2nd Grade
- 2nd Place – Imara Sharma, Innovation Elementary School, 1st Grade
- 3rd Place – Jeremy Wittenberger, Ashlawn Elementary School, 2nd Grade
Grades 3 – 5
- 1st Place – Alexander Murphy, Cardinal Elementary School, 5th Grade
- 2nd Place – Sita Pathak, Glebe Elementary School, 5th Grade
- 3rd Place – Ravi Katkar, Taylor Elementary School, 5th Grade
Grades 6 – 8
- 1st Place –Maedot Ayalew, Kenmore Middle School, 6th Grade
- 2nd Place – Emilio Mucchetti, Williamsburg Middle School, 6th Grade
- 3rd Place – Winter Hamm, Gunston Middle School, 8th Grade
Grades 9 – 12
- 1st Place – Aaron Lopez, Washington-Liberty High School, 10th Grade
- 2nd Place – Mia Dimina, Yorktown High School, 10th Grade
- 3rd Place – Achraf Majid, Washington-Liberty High School, 12th Grade
Visual Arts
Grades K-2
- 1st Place – Hadeel Fouz, Arlington Traditional School, 1st Grade
- 2nd Place – Sara Alhosani, Arlington Science Focus, 1st Grade
- 3rd Place – Alexandra Yoakam, Cardinal Elementary School, 1st Grade
Grades 3 – 5
- 1st Place – Sigrid Simon, Taylor Elementary School, 3rd Grade
- 2nd Place – Taym Ghandor, Montessori Public School, 3rd Grade
- 3rd Place – Lucia Mucchetti, Nottingham Elementary School, 4th Grade
Grades 6 – 8
- 1st Place – Roya Stevenson, Swanson Middle School, 7th Grade
- 2nd Place – Julietta Gil, Gunston Middle School, 7th Grade
- 3rd Place – Farrell Hidayat, Swanson Middle School, 8th Grade
Grades 9 – 12
- 1st Place – Anjarra Lee, Wakefield High School, 10th Grade
- 2nd Place – Genesis Monjaras, Wakefield High School, 11th Grade
- 3rd Place – June Gardner, Wakefield High School, 12th Grade
