MLKSB Essay and Poetry Program
Student writing and educational programs honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Essay & Poetry Awardees
Awardees 2026
Essay
Ages 6-12
1st: “The Day No One Asked Where I Was From” – Yunyi Mu
2nd: “How Leaders Should Act” – Felicity Gray
3rd: “Humanity & Justice” – Arrow Moyer
Honorable Mention
“Choose to Play in Peace” – Max Varing
“Dear Martin Luther King Jr” – Maison Collins
“Be Nice to Everyone” – Luke Logan
Ages 13-18
1st: “Letter to Dr. King from the Future” – Stella Burnett
2nd: “Being a Leader” – Addy Parker
3rd: “Like the One King Imagined” – Kazimir Graham-Szopa
Poetry
Ages 6-12
1st: “To Lead is to Love” – Takunda Chikowero
2nd: “We Need Leaders” – Stella Lappico
3rd Place – A Leader in Full – Eleanor Hwang
Honorable Mentions
“A Strong Community” – Jude Marshall
“Lead With Love” – Patricia Kerr
Ages 13-18
1st: “Where Power Rings” – Thorin Rasmussen
2nd: “A Dream that Lights the Way” – Vivi Ralston
3rd: “Peace Starts with Us” – Kalia Stump
Awardees 2025
Essay
Ages 6-12
1st: “Service Makes the World Better” – Matin Balaven
2nd: “The Pathway To Greatness” – Easton Knabke
3rd: “A Man of Great Will” – Oliver Yahyavi
Honorable Mention
“I Am a Wolf Lover” – Lucca Griffiths
“Through The Eyes of a Bird” – Olivia Roth
“Be Nice to Everyone” – Luke Logan
Ages 13-18
1st: “Stepping Out of the War Room” – Husna Balaven
2nd: “Greatness and Service Through Justice and Preservation”
– Alexa Ceja
3rd: “MLK Was a Great Man” – Luisa Martinez
Honorable Mention
“Hear and Heal” – Clehann Howard – Grade 10
Poetry
Ages 6-12
1st: “Service Is All You Need” – Connor J. Jacobs
2nd: “A Hand to Help” – Chloe LeBeau
3rd Place – Thriving Like Nature – Takunda Chikowero
Honorable Mentions
“A World of Service and Peace” – Smretti Rajesh Chandru
Ages 13-18
1st: “Growing A Garden of Hope” – Evelyn Calkins
2nd: “The Heart of Service” – Kate Ackerman
3rd: “A Tapestry of Kindness” – Delilah M. Santizo
Honorable Mentions
“How Do You Save A World So Broken? – Kacy Kramer
“Born to Serve” – Paola Torres-Garcia
“A Simple Way to Give” – Richard Ramirez
“Unbeknownst” – Alex DeLeon
“An End to Racism” – William Skidmore
Awardees 2024
Essay
Ages 6-12
Honorable Mentions:
“Act in the Moment” Sara Ruiz
“Fight for What’s Right” Shayleen Colmenarezi Hernandez
“Ripples” Reagan Schroeder
“Environmental Justice Can’t Wait” Josef Castañeda
Ages 13-18
3rd: “MLK We Remember” Angel Pineda Santana
“Liminal” – Husna Balaven
“Rise Up” – Isla Barat
Poetry
Ages 6-12
Honorable Mentions:
“Kindness is Justice / Amabilidad es Justicia. – Kristasofia Castañeda
“Rising Strong” – Amelia Maday
Ages 13-18
3rd: “MLK We Remember” Angel Pineda Santana
“Liminal” – Husna Balaven
Awardees 2023
Essay
Ages 6-12
Honorable Mentions:
Honorable Mentions:
“Kindness is Justice / Amabilidad es Justicia. – Kristasofia Castañeda
“Rising Strong” – Amelia Maday
Ages 13-18
3rd: “MLK We Remember” Angel Pineda Santana
“Liminal” – Husna Balaven
Poetry
Ages 6-12
Honorable Mentions:
“Kindness is Justice / Amabilidad es Justicia. – Kristasofia Castañeda
“Rising Strong” – Amelia Maday
Ages 13-18
3rd: “MLK We Remember” Angel Pineda Santana
“Liminal” – Husna Balaven
Awardees 2022
Essay
Ages 6-12
1st: “Don’t Hide Your Feelings” – Amalia Cruz
2nd: “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s Dream” – Jaden Barker
3rd: “Dreams” – Chloe Henson
Honorable Mentions
“Essay” – Dominic James Beane
“Martin Luther King, Jr.” – Lillian Richardson
“Martin Luther King, Jr.” – Siena Schmidt
Ages 13-18
1st: “The Struggle for Equality” – Rick Juarez
2nd: “Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy” – Taylor Blackmore
3rd: “Abbie’s Essay.” – Abbigail Delwiche
Poetry
Ages 6-12
1st: “Together” – Ronnie Gloo
2nd: “Martin Luther King Day” – Blaise Challen
3rd: “The Voice we Have” – Quincy Wong
Honorable Mentions
“In a New Light” – Ximena Naranjo
“I have a Dream.” – Camilla Elizondo
“An Acrostic Poem in Honor of Dr. King.” – Laklyn Wood
“Children of the Way” – Rudy Gloo
Ages 13-18
1st: “Fight Feathers” – Julia Weitzman
2nd: “A Single Garment of Destiny” – Noah Slotnick-Latrisco
3rd: “Waking Up” – Alejandro Marin
Honorable Mentions
“It’s Raining Today” – Sierra Mayoral
“MLK Poem” – Kate Cooney
“Untitled” – Fiona Casbarro
“Love and Hate” – Jasmine Lopez-Lopez
“We Shall Overcome” – Liana Marie Ahedo
Awardees 2021
Essay
Ages 13-18
1st: “How should One’s Morals be Defined?”
Kamea Boucher
Carpinteria High School
2nd: “The Importance of Speaking up for your Ideals”
Carolina Peace – 13
Marymount School
3rd: “What can make you a Better Person?”
Hannia Hernandez
Carpinteria High School
Ages 6-12
1st: “No More Silence”
Noah Slotnick-Lastrico – 12
La Colina Junior High
2nd: “What Is Right”
Ashley Hansen – 12
La Colina Junior High
3rd: “Martin Luther King Jr.”
Lillian Richardson – 9
Marymount School
Honorable Mention: “Why it is so important to Speak up”
James Steel
Foothill Elementary School
Poetry
Ages 13-18
1st: “Betrayal, Silence”
Kundai Chikowero
Dos Pueblos High School
2nd: “Solidarity”
Sarah Dent – 10th grade
Dos Pueblos High School
3nd: “Our Voices Are Heard”
Miles Souza – 17
Carpinteria High School
Honorable Mentions
“I Am What I Am”
Fatima Lopez – 17
San Marcos High School
“Martin Luther King was an Amazing Man”
Ember Reiter – 13
Marymount School
“Rise Up”
Ravi Pandya – 13
Marymount School
Ages 6-12
1st: “The Journey to Freedom”
Elena Beckman
Knox School
2nd: “This is Us”
Zoe Rogers
Peabody Charter School of SB
3rd: “When Happiness Goes Down”
Sam Kasting- 7
Marymount School
3rd: “Say Their Names”
Jonah Archer
Foothill Elementary School
Awardees 2020
Essay
Ages 13-18
1st
Alexis Persoon
Carpinteria High School
2nd
Asiah Raymie
San Marcos High School
3rd
Sasha Carter
Los Olivos School
Illianna Ramirez
Santa Barbara Junior High
Ages 6-12
1st Noah Slotnick-Lastrico
Washington Elementary School
2nd Angel Hernandez
Washington Elementary
3rd Kaia Drayton
Hollister Elementary
Ashley Hansen
Washington Elementary School
Poetry
Ages 13-18
1st Summer Slotnick-Lastrico
San Marcos High School
2nd Kundai Chikowero
Dos Pueblos High School
3rd Hialei E. Pangaling
Los Olivos School
Svenja Leonard
Carpinteria High School
Ages 6-12
1st Charly Crane-Flores
Roosevelt School
2nd Santiago Munoz
Roosevelt School
3rd Bella Hofmeister
Foothill Elementary
Awardees 2019
Essay
Ages 13-18
1st Michelle Qin “All for All”
Dos Pueblos High School
Ages 6-12
1st Nolan Carney “Standing up and Speaking Out”
Roosevelt School
2nd Angelle Breton “Together We Stand”
Roosevelt School
3rd Aislinn Wilson “Together We Stand”
Santa Barbara Middle School
Gia Manriquez “Together We Stand”
Roosevelt School
Poetry
Ages 13-18
1st Kundai Chikowero “Together for A Future Generation” Dos Pueblos High School
2nd Delia Dominguez “Together we stand”
Carpinteria High School
3rd Noor Guefroudj “Together we stand” Dos Pueblos High School
Jasmine Gutierrez “Together we stand”
Carpinteria High School
Ages 6-12
1st Jaeda Natale “Together we Stand”
Roosevelt School
2nd Lea Anderson “Together we Stand”
Roosevelt School
3rd Grace Gorman “Poem 1”
Montessori Center School
Gwen Chenoweth “Together we Stand”
Roosevelt School
Awardees 2018
Essay
Ages 13-18
1st Michelle Qin “The Human Right” Dos Pueblos High School
2nd Gabriel Ohedo “Martin Luther King, Jr.” Carpinteria High School
Ages 6-12
1st Olivia Battles “Speak Up” Roosevelt School
2nd Noah Zakrzewski “MLK” Monte Vista School
3rd Noah Slotnick-Lastrico “MLK” Washington School
Connor MacPherson “MLK” Montessori Center School
Poetry
Ages 13-18
1st Kundai Chikowero “Follow the Legacy” Dos Pueblos High School
2nd Hali Schwasnick “Colors” Carpinteria High School
3rd Jeanette Fantone “For The Oppressed” Carpinteria High School
Max Coppel “Life in America Has Changed” Carpinteria High School
Ages 6-12
1st Zachary Horne “My Dream for Our World” Roosevelt School
2nd Aspen Newhouse “Democracy” Montessori Center School
3rd Tessa de Albergaria “Living a Nightmare” Roosevelt School
Tali McPeters “Democracy” Roosevelt School
Awardees 2017
Essay
Ages 13-18
1st Michelle Qin, Dos Pueblos High School
Ages 6-12
1st Alana Sanchez, Roosevelt School
2nd Gracie Meinzer, Roosevelt School
3rd Lyla Bollag, Montessori Center School
Aislinn Wilson, Montessori Center School
Omar Alsabagh, Montessori Center School
Zahra Clark, Montessori Center School
Lorraina Uyeno, Montessori Center School
Poetry
Ages 13-18
1st Ava Gropper, Carpinteria High School
2nd Kundai Chikowero, Goleta Valley Junior High
3rd Jasmine Guilarte, Santa Barbara High School
Jaime Hernandez, Carpinteria High School
Ages 6-12
1st Stella Scheim, Roosevelt Elementary School
2nd Quinn Davis, Roosevelt Elementary School
3rd Pearl Stadler, Roosevelt Elementary School
Malaika Dewar, Roosevelt Elementary School
Christian Frausto, Roosevelt Elementary School
Sam Peacock, Roosevelt Elementary School
Gabriel Gallardo, Roosevelt Elementary School
Awardees 2016
Essay
Ages 13-17
1st Michele Qin, Dos Pueblos High School
2nd Emanuel Goldam, Valley High School
3rd Anahi Hernandaz, La Cumbre Jr High School
3rd Analise Cuevas Poetry
Ages 6-12
1st Kundai Chikowero
2nd Wesley Lin
3rd Lauren Neubauer
3rd Finney Israel
Ages 13-18
1st Crystal Landeros, Carpinteria High School
2nd Sophia Qin
3rd Jonathan Carrillo
Poetry
Ages 6-12
1st Madison Tuchman
2nd Nayon Kim 3rd Brittany Gamble
3rd Kathryn Chenoweth
ADL Essay Award
Natasha Franco
Awardees 2015
Essay
Poetry
Ages 6-12
1st Jaiani Hammonds, Franklin Elementary School
2nd Allison Mooney, Roosevelt Elementary School
3rd Maddie Fitz, Roosevelt Elementary School
3rd Charlie Hess, Roosevelt Elementary School
Ages 13-17
1st Place Miranda Vazquez, Santa Barbara High School
2nd Micaela McBee, Santa Barbara High School
3rd Andrea Gaytan, Santa Barbara High School
3rd Sofia Warren, Santa Barbara High School
Ages 6-12
1st Celene Sanchez, Roosevelt Elementary School
2nd Lola Crane-Flores, Roosevelt Elementary School
3rd Owen Rybnicek, Roosevelt Elementary School
3rd Jeffrey Helman, Roosevelt Elementary School
Ages 13-17
1st Berenice Ruiz, Santa Barbara High School
2nd Malia Jungert, Santa Barbara High School
3rd Cooper Johnson, Santa Barbara High School
3rd Alana Ochoa, Santa Barbara High School
Awardees 2014
Essay
Ages 6-12
1st Michelle Qin, La Colina Junior High
2nd Esme Butkiewicz, Goleta Valley Jr. High
3rd John Givans, Goleta Valley Jr. High
3rd Sammy Moore, Goleta Valley Jr. High
Ages 13-17
1st John Chambliss, Santa Barbara High School
2nd Lauren Flemming, Santa Barbara High School
3rd Addy Santos, La Colina Jr. High School
3rd Sarah Douglas, San Marcos High School
Poetry
Ages 6-12
1st Natasha Romanchuk, La Cumber Jr. High
2nd Leo Glikbarg, Goleta Valley Jr .High
3rd Benjamin Kreitzer, Roosevelt Elementary
3rd Noah Robinson, Roosevelt Elementary
Ages 13-17
1st Berenice Ruiz, Santa Barbara High School
2nd Sarah Douglas, San Marcos High School
3rd Martina Arroyo, La Colina Jr. High
3rd Sam Haj, La Colina Jr. High
Essay and Poetry Awards Program
Poetry in the News 2024
Essay Poetry Contest 2022
