The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Steering Committee, in partnership with the University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken Technical College, and Aiken County Public Schools, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay and Creative Visual Poster contests.
Contest winners will be recognized during the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, in the USC Aiken Convocation Center. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and the event is free and open to the public.
The keynote address for the event will be delivered by Alex English, a member of the USC Board of Trustees and a retired NBA player, coach, and television analyst. Renowned for his decorated basketball career and his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, English played college basketball at the University of South Carolina before being drafted in the 1976 NBA draft. He played 15 seasons in the NBA with four teams and scored more points than any other NBA player during the 1980s. He was named to eight NBA All-Star teams, and his No. 2 jersey was retired by the Denver Nuggets in 1992.
Kindergarten through fifth-grade students in Aiken County participated in the creative visual poster contest. Their original designs represented what the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday meant to them.
The following students submitted the winning entries for the kindergarten to second-grade category:
First place: Adrianna Tanner, Busbee Elementary School
Second place: Fabrizio Padilla, Oakwood-Windsor Elementary School
Third place: Diana Buenrostro, Oakwood-Windsor Elementary School
The following students submitted winning entries for the third to fifth-grade category:
First place: Leigaci Tafe, Busbee Elementary School
Second place: Jaxon McLeod, Busbee Elementary School
Third place: Chloe Bryant, Aiken Elementary School
Students who participated in the sixth- through 12th-grade essay contest were asked to explain what a selected quote from Dr. King meant to them.
Middle school students' essays could not exceed 1,000 words, while the maximum word count for high school essays was 1,500 words.
The following students submitted winning entries for middle school:
First place: Aidynn Dzul, Paul Knox Middle School
Second place: Aubrey Williams, Paul Knox Middle School
Third place: Layla Cole, Paul Knox Middle School
The following students submitted winning entries for high school:
First place: Tavion Woodley, Aiken Scholars Academy
Second place: Mya Holston, South Aiken High School
Third place: Faye Becker, Mead Hall Episcopal School
Whether they attend a public or private school or are homeschooled, all students in Aiken County were eligible to participate in the contests.
The first-, second- and third-place winners in each category and their families are invited to attend the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration where they will be recognized and receive their awards.
Winning poster entries will be displayed during the community celebration.
The University of South Carolina Aiken and Aiken Technical College serve as co-presenters for the annual celebration.
For more information, contact Christen Engel, Christen.Engel@usca.edu