Ohio Civil Rights Commission presents Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Contest awards
On Feb. 27, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) recognized the winners of the OCRC 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Essay & Multimedia Contest in a ceremony at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Training Academy in the Leadership Auditorium Columbus.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Essay & Multimedia Contest is open to all Ohio students in grades 6-12. This year's contest theme asked students to submit work about how they have worked or will work to promote equality and justice in their own way. OCRC received hundreds of entries, but only 15 entries were chosen as winners.
The ceremony will celebrated Sarah Ahmad, a teacher at North Dayton School Discovery, the winner of the 2025 Excellence in Teaching Diversity Award. The Excellence in Teaching Diversity Award is given to an Ohio grade 6-12 teacher who demonstrates exemplary dedication to diversity and teaching the lessons of civil rights in the classroom.
This year's winners are:
ESSAY:
Grades:
6, Alexa Funke, Monroe Elementary and Junior High School
7, Emma King, Lebanon Jr. High
8, Sydney McNulty, Saint Ambrose School
9, Elijah Land, Boardman High School
10, Sarah Bauer, Tippecanoe High School
11, Grace Rogers, Anderson High School
12, Kensani Letang, Richmond Heights High School
ART:
6, Kaylynn Stahl, Arlington Local School
7, Damareon Winborn, Longfellow Middle School
8, Emery Kandawalla, Bexley Middle School
9, Zander Collins, Arlington Local School
10, Sophia Vicens, Amherst Marion L. Steele High School
11, Melody Sprowl, Indian Valley HS
12, Noelle Hampton, Hilliard Darby
MULTIMEDIA:
10, Noah Riley & Haley Huffman, Marion L. Steele.
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) receives and investigates charges of discrimination in employment, housing, places of public accommodation, credit, and higher education on the basis of race, color, sex, age, ancestry, religion, national origin, disability, military status, and families with children. For more information about OCRC please visit www.civ.ohio.gov.
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