Warner Norcross & Judd LLP announced the results of its 10th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest.
The contest, which was open to all sixth-graders at Grand Rapids Public Schools, asked the students to prepare an essay focused on how Dr. King’s legacy of peace and justice applies to the world in which they live. This year’s competition included a record 327 entries from students at 10 schools.
The winners were:
- Bodie Bickford, Center for Economicology, grand prize
- Tanya Floyd, Riverside Middle School, first runner-up
- Demarus Jackson, Riverside Middle School, second runner-up
Each winning student will receive a certificate of deposit and a gift card to Schuler Books and Music. Additionally, 22 students from five schools received honorable mention recognition. They each will receive a gift card to Schuler Books and Music.
Bickford has been invited to read the top-winning essay at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Peace Program at 12:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19 following the Community Peace March and again at the Annual Celebration program at 6 p.m. Both events will be held at the Grand Rapids Community College Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse. All winners and honorable mentions are invited to attend both events and will be recognized as a group.
The three winners will be given an opportunity to read their essays at the GRPS Board of Education meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, if time permits. Warner Norcross Diversity Partner Rodney Martin will be in attendance to introduce the winners.
The winning essays will be published on the Warner Norcross diversity website: http://diversity.wnj.com.
Essays were judged by more than 50 Warner Norcross attorneys and staff according to Michigan Education Assessment Program guidelines for narrative writing. The essays were evaluated for ideas, organization, style and conventions.
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