-
The City of Olathe's Human Relations Commission has partnered with Olathe Public Schools and Garmin to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the 23rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. contest. The goal of the contest is to increase awareness, foster greater understanding, and celebrate the diverse groups that make up our community.
Every year, middle and high school students in Olathe commemorate that legacy by creating visual pieces of art, multimedia art and/or written pieces and submitting them to the contest. These entries are meant to honor Dr. King's legacy and tie directly to the theme. Eligible participants are middle and high school students across the city, including Olathe Public Schools, the Kansas State School for the Deaf, and home-school community families.
This year's theme is Know Your Neighbor. Students will read the quote from Martin Luther King Jr. and then share what this means to them through written word, art or video.
This year's quote is from a speech that Martin Luther King Jr. said at Connelly College on Oct. 15, 1962. He wanted people to come together and live without hatred.
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
The 2024 middle and high school winners have been announced in all three categories: visual arts, multimedia and written. Organizers thank each school and student for their participation. The 868 entries districtwide is more than double last year's submissions. All entries were judged on theme, originality, audience connection and artist statement.Best of Show
Written entry by Skylar Saragusa, Olathe South High School, "The Waiting Room," $500 award
Middle School Writing Category
- First place: Mikayla T. Druzhinin, Prairie Trail Middle School, "Boy in the Blinds," $200 award
- Second place: Ellen Kalihamwe, Pioneer Trail Middle School, "The Fear of Hello," $125 award
- Third place: Reagan Young, Prairie Trail, "Ask Them, They Will Answer," $75 award
Middle School Visual Arts Category
- First place: Marleigh Call, Frontier Trail Middle School, "Tree of Unity," $200 award (pictured above, right)
- Second place: Emilia Huerta Torres Pioneer Trail, "Connecting to Grow as One," $125 award
- Third place: Lily Holthus Mission Trail Middle School, "Words Can Fly Like Wings," $75 award
Middle School Multimedia Category
- First place: Delaney Bellamy and Lorelei Modrell, Santa Fe Trail Middle School, "Connect and Communicate," $200 award
- Second place: Ashley Enow, Chisholm Trail Middle School, "The Relationship Between Jazz and Civil Rights," $125 award
- Third place: Ava Conklin, Olivia Carella, Mission Trail, "Learning to Love: Lyrical Duet," $75 award
High School Writing Category
- First place: Skylar Saragusa, Olathe South High School, "The Waiting Room," $300 award
- Second place: Gillian Todd, Olathe East High School, "The Pulse’s Speech: Poems," $200 award
- Third place: Cassidy Rogers, Olathe East, "Do you Dare?" $100 award
High School Visual Arts Category- First place: George Newham, Olathe North High School, 'Walk a Mile," $300 award (pictured at right)
- Second place: Sadi Cleveland, Olathe North, "An Entangled Community," $200 award
- Third place: Ainsley Steenhard, Olathe North, "What Are We Losing," $100 award
High School Multimedia Category
- First place: Olivia Kulzer, Braydon Whitlock and Addison Ham, Olathe South, "I Wish I Knew You Better," $300 award
- Second place: Marin Sheehe, Bella Edwards, Olathe South, "What You Don’t See," $200 award
- Third place: Gabrielle Evans, Olathe North, "With One Accord," $100 award
