Jan. 19: Celebrate MLK Day, Student Contest Winners

The West Chester Liberty community is invited to attend the 27th annual "Live the Dream: Our Declaration of Unity" community-wide celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 19. The program will recognize this year’s student contest winners and follows the one-mile community march, which extends from West Chester Township to Liberty Township.

This year’s "The Mountaintop Today" contest theme challenged students to read or listen to Dr. King's entire Mountaintop speech and identify one part that speaks to them or reflects something in their own life, community or the world they live in today. Ultimately, they were asked to relate that message to their own life and provide specific examples for how they can help change the world and impact future generations. 

All winning students will be recognized during the program, also complete with a keynote address and community participation in several songs. Congratulations to this year's student winners, selected from the nearly 700 entries: 

Essays

Grand Prize Winner

• Jonathan Sullen - “I Am Because He Was: Striving for the Mountaintop Today”- Lakota East High School (10th grade)

Elementary School

• Sam Wyckoff - “Martin Luther King Jr. ‘I've Been To The Mountaintop’ Speech Essay” - Endeavor Elementary (5th grade)
  Special Merit: Juliana Durante - “Reversing the Question” - Independence Elementary (6th grade)
  ESL: Charlotte Lee - “The Fight that Never Won for Justice” - Independence Elementary (6th grade)

Junior School

• Emilen DeSantis - “Working Together To Reach The Mountaintop” - Hopewell Junior School (7th grade)
  Special Merit: Ryan Feighery - Hopewell Junior School (7th grade)
  ESL: Julio Cedillo - “MLK Journey” - Hopewell Junior School (8th grade)

High School

• Malk Alsalmani - “A Change” - Lakota East High School (10th grade)

Fine Arts

Grand Prize Winner

• Gracia Sangabau - “This is What I See from the Mountaintop” video presentation - Lakota West High School (11th grade)

Elementary School

• Ella Capone, Rachel Dean, Addison Elmore and Lorelai Kennard - “Remember Our Rights” video presentation - VanGorden Elementary (5th grade)
• Special Merit: Grace Lelo - Union Elementary (6th grade)
• ESL: Alex Tran - "MLK Unity" - Endeavor Elementary (5th grade)

Junior School

• Briana Alonzo and Keren Tinda - MLK Mountaintop poem - Ridge Junior School (7th grade)
   

Like recent years, the “March for Unity” will follow a symbolic route that connects West Chester and Liberty townships. The entire community is invited to gather at the southwest corner of the Floor & Decor parking lot (7250 Cabela Drive, West Chester) at the intersection of Tylers Place Boulevard and Cabela Drive at 9:30 a.m. Participants will proceed to Liberty Center’s Sabin Hall, where the community program will begin at approximately 10:00 a.m.

As an extension of the program, a special food and personal care drive throughout January and February will benefit the Reach Out Lakota food pantry. Specific drop-off locations include EDGE Teen Center, the West Chester and Liberty Township offices, MidPointe Library West Chester and Liberty branches, or directly to Reach Out Lakota.