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1-30-25 — District Hosts 24th Annual MLK Contest
Jan. 30, 2025 ~ Olathe Public Schools recently celebrated its 24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Contest, honoring the legacy of Dr. King with the theme “Belief in Humanity.” This theme reflects Dr. King’s powerful words: “Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”
The contest saw strong participation from all ten middle schools and five high schools in the district, with students submitting exceptional works across visual art, writing, and multimedia categories. Winners received both trophies and monetary awards, with middle school prizes ranging from $75 for third place to $200 for first place, and high school prizes ranging from $100 to $300.
Best of Show and Special Recognition
This year’s Best of Show award went to Dedicate Your Life, a multimedia video by Gabrielle Evans from Olathe South High School. In addition to receiving a trophy, Evans was awarded a $500 cash prize.
Chisholm Trail Middle School received recognition for submitting the most entries in the middle school category, while Olathe Northwest High School earned the same honor at the high school level.
Full List of Winners
Middle School Visual Art
- Hannah Gastineau – It Takes Us All – Mission Trail Middle School
- Harper Bobek – The Impact of a Word – Chisholm Trail Middle School
- Miriam Hernandez – Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words – Santa Fe Trail Middle School
High School Visual Art
- Claire Aberle – Beyond the Box: A Dream for Humanity – Olathe Northwest High School
- Helina Assgid – Hope in Bloom – Olathe Northwest High School
- Michal Reitz – Beautiful Humanity – Olathe North High School
Middle School Writing
- Peyton Searl – Unfiltered – Prairie Trail Middle School
- Sofia Virgilio – Hope – California Trail Middle School
- Hannah Bruss – Your Dream Lives On – Summit Trail Middle School
High School Writing
- Naomi Conybear – My Belief is Because I Chose to Believe – Olathe West High School
- Israe Ouadih – The One Who Dared – Olathe East High School
- Addison Ham – Maybe Getting Sick Was a Good Thing – Olathe South High School
Middle School Multimedia
- Lyla Gutshall and Emerson Gutshall – Small Things in a Great Way – Chisholm Trail Middle School
- Kinsley Nelson – Humanity Song – Chisholm Trail Middle School
- Joshua Tanner – Boggle and Bink: A Career of Humanity – Summit Trail Middle School
High School Multimedia
- Gabrielle Evans – Dedicate Your Life – Olathe South High School
- Britton Scovill and Sophie Schipper – Unique Harmony – Olathe South High School
- Bridget Simmons, Riley Lewis and Jessica Sunday – Belief in Humanity: The Influence of Change – Olathe Northwest High School
The event — a collaboration between the Olathe Human Relations Commission, Garmin, Olathe Public Schools, and Olathe Libraries — was an inspiring showcase of creativity and a powerful reminder of the importance of belief in humanity.