My Personal Michigan Hero

MY PERSONAL MICHIGAN HERO

Essays by the Top Ten Winners of the 2013-2014 Contest. AND

A complete list of all participating schools and their local winners.

Sponsored by

For Michigan 8th Grade Students 1 A TRIBUTE TO MICHIGAN HEROES…

There is so much that is great about Michigan…our natural beauty and breathtaking lakes, our thousands of thriving communities, and our millions of energetic people. But nothing can compare with our Michigan heroes, the people who live and work in our Great State and make a difference in the lives of young people. That’s what this book is about…the heroes of Michigan as seen through the eyes of Michigan eighth grade students. Thousands of students from nearly 450 Michigan schools participated in the 2013-2014 America & Me Essay Contest and submitted essays based on the topic, “My Personal Michigan Hero.” Inside you’ll find reprints of the ten best essays in the state. These essays are about teachers, community leaders, family members, and more…everyday people making an extraordinary difference. Also inside is a complete list of all the schools that participated in the 2013-2014 contest, and the local winners from each school. Every student named in this book, and every student who submitted an essay, has our deepest thanks and congratulations. Farm Bureau Insurance has been the proud sponsor of the annual America & Me Essay Contest since 1968. The contest has become a tradition in Michigan schools and continues to encourage Michigan young people to recognize the heroes in their communities and their state. This book is a salute to Michigan heroes and how they make Michigan a better place to live. We hope you enjoy it.

Jim Robinson Executive Vice President Farm Bureau Insurance

2 TOP TEN ESSAYS From the 2013-2014 America & Me Essay Contest

3 MY PERSONAL MICHIGAN HERO st Maria was born in Detroit, Michigan. She was 1 athletically talented, really tall, and had a great laugh. Maria worked at various jobs and had a hard time making ends meet. Maria struggled with her job and raising her son, Kyle. Maria Jacob Pasek became pregnant with me. She knew she had two choices; to end my life or to continue it. Saint Brigid Catholic Even though she was having trouble with life’s School, Midland obstacles, Maria chose life for me and I will always be thankful for her decision. If it wasn’t for my birthmother Maria, I wouldn’t be here today. After giving birth to me, she put me in foster care for a while, but realized that she couldn’t care for me. She loved me so much, but she knew that love wouldn’t provide for my basic needs. That is why Maria is my hero. She right then and there, decided that adoption was the best idea for both of us. She thought of my needs over her needs. Maria’s decision to choose adoption positively affected my future. She worked with a pregnancy counselor to locate a family that she felt would not only provide, but love and cherish her child. Finally, she found a family that she felt would be the best family for her son. The family had the same interests she had: camping, fishing, and being outdoors. Maria called the pregnancy counselor and told them not to let any of the other birthmothers take this family. In August 1999, Maria handed me over to Angela and Dave, and said, “Take good care of him.” It was a deep and touching moment for my parents and Maria. My parents took me home to a very excited brother who couldn’t wait to hold and play with me. I also came home to loving grandparents and welcoming aunts and uncles. My parents wanted Maria to know that I was being well cared for so they kept in contact, by sharing pictures and letters. Maria was really busy, but we would go and see her and celebrate my birthday together. Life continued to move forward, but in November of 2008, life stopped for a moment. We received a call that Maria had died of a heart attack. It was really hard knowing that she was gone and there will be no more birthdays and Christmases to celebrate together. We attended her funeral and it was very beautiful. At the cemetery, a white dove was released; Maria would have liked that. In Maria’s death, she gave me a new life. Even though she is still gone, I have her athletic gifts, her height, but most of all her contagious laugh. My family camps, goes fishing and enjoys the outdoors just like Maria hoped I would get to do. Maria’s choice of life and a better future for me is why she is My Personal Michigan Hero. I will never forget Maria and her great decision she made for me. Thank you, Maria.

4 MY PERSONAL MICHIGAN HERO 2nd Most kids probably consider their dad to be their personal hero. He may root them on at their baseball game, or wrestle them on the floor, or drive them and their friends to school events. My dad was no different. Little did Paul Pavliscak he know our time together would be cut short when I was four years old. Eagle Creek Academy, Oakland Township A typical toddler spends time laughing and playing with his dad, a role model like no other. Memories of my dad playing Santa to my preschool classmates, and dressing as one of my favorite characters, Bob the Builder, are just a few. However, I also have vivid memories of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, watching my mom cry, and learning about how life changes with a cancer diagnosis. I remember telling the oncologist I want to be just like him, only to see him look at me in wonder that a three-year-old even knew what an oncologist was. While most people would ask, “Why me?,” my dad never questioned his fate. He instilled in me that something good would come of this tragedy, although he had no idea what that would be. My family bonded closely to make the most of each day. I learned the real meaning of family, and how death is the horrible part of life that nobody likes to talk about, including most adults. My dad didn’t waste a breath, always making me feel loved and special. Routine activities like eating breakfast, watching TV, and driving to preschool suddenly took a new meaning to my dad and me. We embraced these moments together, knowing what would lie ahead. Simple things, like learning to throw a baseball, I never shared with my dad. The experiences we did share have taught me about my belief in family, in God and never to take even the smallest of things in life for granted. No matter what, I will use these life lessons to help others in whatever capacity I can. I began to do just that, after my mom and I attended a grief support group for four years, when I reached out to the other small children who shared the experience of losing a parent. I would often hold their hands, read them a story or just let them know that I understood what they were feeling. At age eight, I was recognized by the mayor in my city for mentoring kids through their grief. In summary, my personal Michigan hero is my father, David Pavliscak. He is a hero because he taught me the core values of life: to genuinely care for others and express my feelings, and to use these gifts to help others not feel abandoned during times of loss. Thank you dad, for giving me these life lessons that will make me a successful man. If I can be half the dad to my future children that he was to me, I will have attained the greatest accomplishment life has to offer.

5 THE SILENT HERO rd Usually heroes are seen as brave leaders 3 or people who speak up, but my hero is quiet and humble. My family was at Greenfield Village enjoying the sunny day. We rushed to the train station; I John Blaney got in line behind a family with a disabled child. Spiritus Sanctus The child I would guess was about two or three Academy, Plymouth years old and couldn’t walk. The little girl kept asking me questions; I felt awkward and wanted nothing more than to leave the conversation. My mom was expecting around August and everyone was excited. On September 17th, 2005, we welcomed a baby girl into the family, we named her Mary Kate. We were too young to understand medical talk, but my parents explained to all of us that Mary Kate would be in the hospital for a little while. A few weeks later, my parents pulled in the driveway with our new sister. I was confounded by the equipment my parents also carried in. Over the months, we needed more equipment for her and I felt a little awkward to go out in public with all of Mary Kate’s medical equipment. Once, our family was at the zoo and a little boy looked at Mary Kate and frowned, I felt furious. One day, my parents were gone and my sisters were upstairs, probably playing with dolls, and my babysitter wasn’t around. I was in the family room with Mary Kate. She crawled over to me and rolled a small toy to me, I rolled it back. Eventually, hours began to pass and we became entangled in our own little game, we just silently rolled the ball back and forth. I really enjoyed her company. Over the next few months, I became more interested with helping Mary Kate when I could. I would pay no attention to public gossip toward our family. Whenever I encountered someone with Down Syndrome, I always enjoyed conversing with that person because they were always nice, loving and very social. In the end of July, my parents called my siblings into the family room. Mary Kate had been in the hospital for a while but my parents didn’t usually tell us about her condition, but their facial expressions told me something was happening. They began to explain to us in plain words that Mary Kate was sick and was going to leave us soon. I felt crushed over the next week and we went to the hospital as much as possible. On August 10th, we brought Mary Kate home on the ventilator. We were awake all night at her side, and on August 11th, 2009, Mary Kate passed away. We were immediately surrounded by family and friends. Our parish priest came on his motorcycle and my principal came in her jeep. Mary Kate is a hero to me because she helped me realize how precious the disabled are. Now, I see Mary Kate in everyone who is disabled. If someone is mistreating the handicapped, I step in and tell the person to stop. When I see a person with Down Syndrome, I smile and remember Mary Kate.

6 Life for me, is pretty amazing, but it never th used to be that way. I used to be the laughing 4 stock, the girl who no one wanted to be around, the girl with no hope for her future. I got called names like stupid and brainless, and it was all because I did not know how to read. Then a person came into my life and Alissa Bonkowski changed the direction I was headed in. Lakeview High School, It was 2007. I was seven years old and Lakeview attending my first year at Baker Elementary. I was ready for an education! As I walked into the classroom, I was greeted by two very nice students. They moved in a matter of weeks. It was reading day at school and I came with a picture book so I at least had a book. As I read, I heard a faint chuckle. When I turned I saw a boy, Brock was his name, chuckling at the fact that I was reading a picture book. I wanted to say, “At least I can read!” But there were two things wrong with that; one, I couldn’t read. Two, he had a chapter book in his hand. I was embarrassed to be holding the picture book so I hurried and put it in my bag. My teacher, Mrs. Covert, noticed this. “Are you alright?” she looked at me with kind eyes. “I am…I guess” I replied. “What’s the matter?” she asked as she put her arm around me. “It’s just…” I motioned for her to come close, “I can’t read.” “Oh! That’s no problem.” She said, “I will help you.” “Can we keep this between us?” I asked. “Your secret is safe with me,” she whispered. The next day, I met with Mrs. Covert and she explained how I would start off on easier books, to get used to words and syllable sounds, then I’d move to harder books. Mrs. Covert sat with me and helped me pronounce my words and once I was ready, I would read it to her. If there were no mistakes in my pronunciation, I would move on to a harder book. Each and every day I would come into Mrs. Covert’s classroom and read. With me reading every day, I soon was reading higher level books than the boy who made fun of me. I came to find that reading made all of my subjects such as math, English (of course), science, and social studies extremely easy. Sadly, after second grade, I had to move. So when the end did come, Mrs. Covert cried over her class leaving. During my third grade year I went to Lakeview and visited Mrs. Covert, making sure to get a famous “bear hug” from her. By the time fourth grade came around, I hadn’t visited much, fifth and sixth grade not at all, and when seventh grade came, Baker Elementary had been torn down. I stood at the edge of the grassland where Baker and my Michigan hero both changed my life. At first I began to cry, and then I thought of what had been brought to me instead of what was lost. A faint smile crossed my face. 7 MY PERSONAL MICHIGAN HERO 5th The hero of the story is not always the star, but rather, the underdog. Sometimes, the hero is not always the most obvious choice, but rather, a second thought. Occasionally, the hero shies away from the spotlight, rather than Jennifer Newland wanting all eyes on them. But, when the hero falls, makes mistakes, and has backs turned Marlette Jr./Sr. High on them, the hero of the story will always School, Marlette be the one to help them get back on their feet. This is what happened to make Laurie VanSumeren my personal Michigan hero. Laurie is the second of five children. She grew up in a small town, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, on the shore of Lake Superior. Laurie graduated as valedictorian from Brimley High School, and went to college at Michigan Technological University. It was here that she met the love of her life, Scott. The two married in 1987, and together had three kids. Both Laurie and Scott worked to provide their children with a blessed and stable life. …It should have not taken him that long to pick her up. In the winter of 2007, Scott left home to pick up their youngest daughter from a roller skating party. An hour later, Laurie received a call from her daughter, asking where her dad was. On her way to pick her daughter up, Laurie was directed to a new route by a police officer. The road to the rink was closed. There had been an accident. On December 1, 2007, Scott VanSumeren was in that very car accident, which left him paralyzed from the neck down, with limited mobility in his arms. Today, six years later, Laurie still has not left Scott’s side. She has also managed to continue working as a computer technician and always remained a stable figure for her kids. She could have walked away when times got hard. She could have quit her job, neglected her kids and left Scott, but she didn’t. Laurie remained loyal. The crash impacted everyone closely associated with Scott, especially his children. While everyone else grieved in their different ways, Laurie remained strong. As everyone else broke down and wept, Laurie remained outwardly calm. Laurie became the rock of the family, and the glue that held all of the seemingly broken pieces together. Not only did she help her kids through it, but she continued to encourage them to strive to do their very best in everything they did. Thanks to all of her pushing and determination, the two oldest children are college graduates, and the youngest is a sophomore at Michigan Technological University. Not only did the kids need help coping with the emotional effects of the accident, but so did Scott. Scott, a man who enjoyed hunting, building,

8 fishing, camping, and being all-around independent, was now unable to do the simplest of tasks, such as feeding and dressing himself. With the help of Laurie’s patience, persistence, and cooperation, he is now healthy, and is once again taking part in some of his favorite activities, including hunting from his power chair. Above all else that she is, Laurie is sacrificial. Her time is split between work, kids, and Scott, leaving very little time for herself. In more recent years, Scott has taken part in hand-cycling races, some as long as ten miles. Many people congratulated Scott on his accomplishment, but few congratulated Laurie, who biked the whole race, right next to his side. Most people ask how Scott’s health is doing, but few ask about Laurie’s health, which wavered after the accident. Her schedule has to be ready to change at the drop of a hat…or blood pressure. She is both flexible and generous with her time. A real hero doesn’t stop speeding bullets, or fly through the air. A real hero is the person willing to brave the storm, despite not getting any of the credit. It is high time that these heroes get the recognition that they deserve. Aunt Laurie, this is for all of the times that nobody asked how YOU were holding up after the accident. For all of the times that no one congratulated YOU for your accomplishments. For the tears you didn’t cry, and the self-pity you chose not to show. This is for everything: Thank you. Most of all, Aunt Laurie, thank you for being my personal Michigan hero.

9 Boom! The bomb went off as soon as SSG th Travis Mills lowered his bag to the ground. 6 Travis was on a mission in Afghanistan when an IED knocked him off his feet. Hitting the ground, his limbs and blood created what I can only imagine being a gruesome scene. Travis Mills has an amazing story, and is a Mollie Davis hero to many. He is my personal Michigan hero because I live in the same small town Vassar Middle School, that Travis grew up and went to school in. I’ve Vassar been able to meet Travis and hear about this extraordinary man’s road to recovery, and how he is inspiring people everywhere. The event that had the biggest impact on me was when just a month after Travis was injured, some of the sixth graders from my school went to Washington D.C. on our annual trip. Our teacher jumped through a lot of hoops and pulled some hometown strings so that we could make a stop at the Walter Reed hospital where Travis was being treated. We were all awestruck when Travis came outside in a powered wheelchair to see us. There wasn’t a dry eye on the bus! Once everyone got off the bus, Travis said, “Alright, stop crying.” Then in typical Travis fashion, he told some jokes to cheer us up; kind of ironic. We were able to talk to him and get our picture taken with him. His positive attitude and smile was amazing. This visit will stick with me forever. My next inspiring encounter with Travis was when he came to our homecoming football celebration in his hometown Vassar, Michigan. Travis is a former Vassar High School football player. The entire week of homecoming was in Travis’ honor. We called it “Hometown Hero”Homecoming. Everyone was gearing up for his first hometown visit since he made national news! It was all very exciting. Travis was in the parade, and attended the Thursday night bon-fire. We also had a ceremony before the football game honoring Travis and his military service and sacrifice. Again, while giving his speech during this ceremony, Travis was very positive, and fun loving; telling jokes. It seems as though nothing could keep him down. Finally, Travis, his wife, Kelsey, and their daughter, Chloe, made a documentary about what happened. The film was premiered at our little hometown Vassar Theatre. The theatre was packed to watch the story of this heroic family. Before the documentary started, Travis was asked to give a speech. One thing Travis said that really struck me was, “It wasn’t a sad thing to happen to me. Yeah, I didn’t expect it, but that’s just the way God is saying, ‘Hi’, to me.” Watching that documentary convinced me that Travis is a true hero. God may have knocked Travis down, but he got back up. I learned that life is going to have obstacles you may not like, but you just have to move on. Travis is my hero because he put his own life in danger to protect the rest of us, and is using this experience to inspire and teach others.

10 SUPERHEROES IN DISGUISE th Upon hearing the word hero, I think of 7 comics like Batman or Iron man, thoughts of saving lives and cities. My superheroes may not have superpowers, but they have something more powerful, something that RyLee Nakamura creates superheroes of its own. They save dreams; the hopes and futures of students. My Holton Middle School, Michigan heroes are the teachers of Holton, Holton who changed my life forever. These teachers take risks, thinking outside of the box. They’re supportive, encouraging students to do their best and go further. They’re kind, truly caring about students. They manage to make their classes exciting no matter how boring the subject. All in all, they are heroic in every way and I feel blessed to know these amazing people. In a new school, being a shy person isn’t easy. Being outgoing, talkative or social has never been my strong suit. Mrs. Felt, Mrs. Bosset and Mr. English, being the bubbly people they are, slowly made an impact on me. They sparked the evolution of the RyLee I am today. When 6th grade ended, it was hard to leave the teacher I knew and loved. Though I soon found that Mr. Holiday, Mr. Gripton, Mr. Russell, Mr. MacDonald, and Mrs. Rodrigues were just as nice and fun as my teachers last year. So I began coaxing out of my shell. I have been in 8th grade for a few months now, and I’m positive by the end of this year Mrs. Wagenmaker and Mrs. Wosinski will have the same impact as previous years. I’ve come to appreciate all my teachers have done. Not only did they increase my knowledge, but they let me show it. They’ve helped me overcome shyness. I’m still an introvert, that will never change, but they have opened my eyes. They taught me, I will make mistakes, and embarrass myself. That’s a part of life. I can now accept that with a smile on my face. Years from now when I’m grown, I’ll look back and remember these teachers, who started it all. Not only have these teachers helped me, but they’ve helped many others. They have helped every student who has stepped foot into their class. I’ve seen students learn and mature tenfold. Heartwarmingly, these teachers are role models for kids who don’t have any people to look up to. They are the parental figure for students who don’t have that support. Most students won’t admit it, but they know in their hearts that these teachers have truly helped us all. The teachers of Holton have changed my life forever. I will never forget that. In past schools, I’ve never had teachers who cared. These teachers are different. They teach to see students learn and become successful. They see a future in every student; making sure they learn to their full extent. They have never given up on a student. I will forever be grateful for all they have done. They’re not Superman, nor superhuman, they’re just normal people. If only everyone could witness amazing people like these. 11 There are many things about Michigan that th might make other states jealous. We have 8 beautiful lakes, fantastic weather and no shortage of Michigan heroes! Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. There are police officers, teachers, doctors and social workers who can all be labeled heroes by the people who Shawn McNamara count on them. One of Michigan’s strongest Centreville Jr. High, heroes is Captain Matt McNamara, from the Centreville Centreville Fire Department in Centreville, Michigan. Captain McNamara helps out his community every single day. He puts out fires that are blazing in homes, barns, fields, and vehicles. He saves lives by teaching children how to use fire extinguishers and smoke detectors and he supports his local community by offering training and information whenever he can. Several years ago, Captain McNamara researched and wrote a grant that brought a brand new fire truck to Centreville, Michigan. Writing a grant is not easy, and people might not think that is the kind of work that heroes do, but I think working that hard for your community makes you a hero. Matt McNamara has been a volunteer firefighter for over twenty years. During that time he has had to make lots of tough decisions and sacrifices to be a good fireman. Being a Michigan hero sometimes comes as a cost to the hero and those that love them. Captain McNamara has had to miss out on all kinds of things to help protect the people in his community from accidents and fires. One year at Christmas, the presents at the McNamara house had to sit under the tree for many hours while Captain McNamara fought a house fire during the bitter cold weather. It can sometimes be hard on a hero’s family to make the sacrifice too, but knowing their loved one is helping to save someone else makes the sacrifice worth it every single time. Being a firefighter is not always as exciting as people might think. There are many behind the scene things that firefighters have to do like paperwork, washing the trucks, training, and rolling up hoses after a big fire. Yet, that is what heroes do. They do the work that does not necessarily make them rich or famous. They do the work that helps their community. They do the work that other cannot or will not do. That is what Michigan heroes do and Captain Matt McNamara is not only a Michigan hero, he is also MY hero because he is my dad.

12 JONATHAN RAND, MY MICHIGAN HERO th I was complaining to my mom about going 9 to see an author for one of her medical books. We were going to my mom’s college. I didn’t understand why I had to go. My parents had left me alone at home in the past, why not Carter Penney now? Why was it so important that I go to this speech? When we got there, books were laid John E. Owens High out by Jonathan Rand. Why were Jonathan School, Reading Rand books being sold at a speech for a medical author? We walked into the auditorium filled with kids and their parents. We sat down, and I finally figured out what was happening. Prior to this experience, someone had told me that the public library lets you play on their computers for a full hour without charge, provided you have a library card. That is where I spent an hour of my day, in the library playing on the internet. Of course you can’t hang out there as much as I did without noticing some of the books. In the more kid-oriented section, I noticed some books called American Chillers and Michigan Chillers. I heard from other people that they were a lot like Goosebumps books. I was never a big fan of Goosebumps, but I felt like it was worth a try. I checked out the one that looked the most interesting to me, Invisible Iguanas of Illinois. There, an adventure began. Soon I began writing my own stories inspired by the many ideas and the style of Jonathan Rand. “Geckozilla,” “Super Monsters,” and “Extinct and Alive” were some of my favorites. My relatives started getting Jonathan Rand books as my birthday and Christmas presents. As I read and wrote more, my writing abilities improved exponentially. I even started looking forward to writing assignments. It was after I started getting into other authors that my parents took me to the Jonathan Rand speech. He was funny, informative, and inspiring. I even got my picture taken with him. I got books signed by him (his actual signature that he wrote with his own hand was on a book that I now owned!) The only thing I thought about on the way home was how I had been in the same room with him. Although I started reading his books again, I was still out-growing them. I started reading other, more mature books, such as Ender’s Game, Wayne D. Barlowe’s books, and Hunger Games. Then, another adventure began. Jonathan Rand is my Michigan Hero because he inspired me to read, to write, and to imagine. He helped me realize my dream of being an author myself. I don’t want to write stories about romance, about bullies, or about normal lives. I want to write about crazy ideas, of life, death, survival, what lies beyond our understanding, and what lies in the untapped parts of our imagination. Jonathan Rand is my Michigan Hero because he created a mind, hungry to explore its own imagination.

13 BRIAN BARCZYK – MY MICHIGAN HERO th On November 1st, 2013, I got the chance 10 of a lifetime! I got to travel down to Shelby Township, MI and meet my Hero in person! Brian Barczyk owns BHB Reptiles, the largest snake breeding facility in the United States, Colton Rau and it’s located right here in Michigan. He hatches over 30,000 snakes every year, has Trinity Lutheran School, hundreds of varieties of snakes, and also Bay City has several Monitors, 3 Alligators, Bearded Dragons, Tortoises, Leopard Geckos and a Crested Gecko. Brian himself has developed the world’s first scaleless Ball Python! He worked for 4 years on this project, and personally gave me the opportunity to meet his 1st hatchling named Mr. Smooth. Brian also hosts a weekly web show called SnakeBytesTV. Brian travels all over the world teaching animal conservation and tolerance to the very misunderstood animal, the snake. Brian is my hero because someday I want to be just like him! Since I was four years old I have known that I want to work with reptiles, and become a herpetologist. I would also like to breed reptiles and arachnids, and am currently raising several varieties of lizards and tarantulas. When I first met Brian I was completely star struck! I mean, how do you actually from words when face to face with your hero? Lucky for me, Brian could tell I was nervous, and he treated me with respect and talked to me like an adult that knew reptiles. In my opinion, that is another reason that makes Brian Barczyk a hero. Most people wouldn’t give a 13 year old the time of day, not Brian! Brian and I have talked several times and he’s always willing, and ready, to encourage the passion of reptiles in people of any age, especially kids. While I was at BHB Reptiles, he took several hours out of his busy schedule and gave me the full tour around his enormous facility. He let me handle several snakes, help with feeding and work with his daily chores. The best part is he told me that he could see my passion for reptiles in my eyes and welcomed me back down to work with him any time I want to! If that’s not the best description of a hero, then I don’t know what is! Brian Barczyk is an amazing person, nice to people, awesome with animals, and a world traveler that gets asked to speak all over the world about his profession and yet he still had time to talk to me! Within the next year I will finally have my first adult, breeding pair of Leachianus Geckos. Who knows? Maybe this will be the beginning of my future business! Maybe I can even have a weekly web show like SnakeBytesTV. Wherever God takes me in His future plans, one thing is for sure, I will be like Brian and always treat everyone I meet with respect and kindness…and I will always make time for a child interested in my field.

14 A SALUTE TO EACH OF OUR PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS AND LOCAL WINNERS…

Besides the top ten statewide winners whose essays appear at the front of this book, we also want to recognize the local winners from each school. On the next several pages, you will find a listing of all the schools that participated in the 2013-2014 America & Me Essay Contest… and the local winners from each school. The first place essay from each school went on to the statewide competition from which the ten best essays in the state were selected. We want to thank all the participating schools and their winners. Thank you for participating, thank you for your excellent essays, and thank you for telling us about your Michigan heroes. We wish you continued success and a great future. Farm Bureau Insurance Michigan’s Insurance Company

15 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… A.D. Johnston Junior High School, Allendale Middle School, Allendale Bessemer 1st place - Emily Taylor 1st place - Caitlin Lynch 2nd place - Destany Gryka 2nd place - Jonathan Bale 3rd place - Allison Kessler 3rd place - Jacob Suzik Armada Middle School, Armada Adams School /Sigel #3, Bad Axe 1st place - Tyler Dolkowski 1st place - Claudia Fitzpatrick 2nd place - Adam Job

Adrian Middle School 7/8, Adrian Ashley Community Schools, Ashley 1st place - Shania Beevers 1st place - Doug Gavenda 2nd place - Alexann Ferguson 2nd place - Nicole Hardman 3rd place - Alejandro Madrid 3rd place - Shelly Moore

Advanced Technology Academy, Dearborn Assumption School, Belmont 1st place - Janice Lee Stefanide 1st place - Matthew Watkins 2nd place - Nyah Hodges 2nd place - Joshua Ball 3rd place - Jessica Haro 3rd place - Noah Clements

AGBU Alex & Marie Manoogian School, Athens Jr./Sr. High School, Athens Southfield 1st place - Braelyn Roach 1st place - Angela Kirma 2nd place - Jillayne Wheeler 2nd place - Christina Tufenkjian 3rd place - Tristen Rivera 3rd place - Shamiran Jeddo Atkins Middle School, Saginaw Akiva Hebrew Day School, Southfield 1st place - Ali Isa 1st place - Elijah Wolfe 2nd place - Autumn Langmaid 2nd place - Audrey Rogers 3rd place - Rachel Andres 3rd place - Samantha Schwartz

Akron-Fairgrove Junior/Senior High Atlanta Jr/Sr High School, Atlanta School, Fairgrove 1st place - Tracy Syck 1st place - Katelyn Smith 2nd place - Tanner Sayles 2nd place - Amariah VanHorn 3rd place - Hunter Reeves 3rd place - Garrett Reder Auburn Hills Christian School, Al-Ikhlas Training Academy, Detroit Auburn Hills 1st place - Salwa Omar 1st place - Mikel Hall 2nd place - Tayiba Uddin 2nd place - Lindsay Cowan 3rd place - Adam Walid 3rd place - Anna Sitto

All Saints Catholic School, Canton Baker Middle School, Rochester Hills 1st place - Sarah Bindon 1st place - Christina Thymalil 2nd place - Elise Cloutier 2nd place - Tara Serafini 3rd place - Sean Gillikin 3rd place - Alicia McCallum

All Saints Central Middle School, Bay City Baldwin Street Middle School, Hudsonville 1st place - Ben Short 1st place - Ethan Ehrnstrom 2nd place - Cameron Adcock 2nd place - Cielle Waters-Umfleet 3rd place - Erin Emmrich 3rd place - Shane Werner

16 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Bark River-Harris, Harris Big Bay de Noc School, Cooks 1st place - Amber Smith 1st place - Maddie Mcphee 2nd place - Jacob Gartland 2nd place - Brooke Dalgord 3rd place - Rebecca Wagner 3rd place - Nolan Raredon

Baseline Middle School, South Haven Big Rapids Middle School, Big Rapids 1st place - Alayah Till 1st place - Tiarra Benson 2nd place - Wendy Gonzalez 2nd place - Hailey Brock 3rd place - Erica May 3rd place - Arya Rao

Blissfield Community Schools, Blissfield Bath Middle School, Bath 1st place - Karter Zimmerman 1st place - Marissa Clark 2nd place - Nicholas Moore 2nd place - Jaylen Miller 3rd place - Kayla Waynick 3rd place - Jack Skidmore Bois Blanc Island, Bois Blanc Island Battle Creek SDA Academy, Battle Creek 1st place - Grant Spray 1st place - Haley Agy 2nd place - Logan Bateman Borculo Christian School, Zeeland 3rd place - Bayani Pastrana 1st place - Katie Bolhuis 2nd place - Travis Tolsma Beal City Public School, Mt. Pleasant 1st place - Andie Loos Bothwell Middle School, Marquette 2nd place - Amanda McMullen 1st place - Viana Hawes 3rd place - Brett Upton 2nd place - Alicia Diedrich 3rd place - Sabrina Stanley Bedford Jr. High School, Temperance 1st place - Jacob Goa Boulan Park Middle School, Troy 2nd place - Nolan Ansara 1st place - Sanjana Pashine 2nd place - Abhilash Balanethiram Belding Middle School, Belding 3rd place - Jessica Liu 1st place - Madeline Lake 2nd place - Madi Baar Boyd Larson Middle School, Troy 3rd place - Sydney Gladding 1st place - Maheem Syed 2nd place - Shriya Shah 3rd place - Eleanor Smith Bellaire Middle School, Bellaire

1st place - Lexi Niepoth Boyne City Middle School, Boyne City 2nd place - Hunter Putz 1st place - Basia Kornoely 3rd place - Morgan Bailey 2nd place - Olivia Looze 3rd place - Elliott Sitkins Berrien Springs Middle School, Berrien Springs Breckenridge Community School, 1st place - Nate Padla Breckenridge 2nd place - Andrew Kertawidjaja 1st place - Kayla Belles 3rd place - Keren Castro Bridge Academy West, Detroit Bethlehem Lutheran School, Saginaw 1st place - Aisha Almashraki 1st place - Bradley Gipson 2nd place - Reham Saeed 2nd place - Daisey Powers 3rd place - Amena Miah 17 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Brown City Jr./Sr. High School, Brown City Carrollton Middle School, Carrollton 1st place - Alexandra Hanson 1st place - Jenna Carter 2nd place - Avery Earl 2nd place - Jordan Sumption 3rd place - Polina Ogboh 3rd place - Molly Conden

Burr Oak Community Schools, Burr Oak Carsonville-Port Sanilac Schools, 1st place - Noah Greene Carsonville 2nd place - Brooke Cooper 1st place - Hailey Knox 3rd place - Noah Norton 2nd place - Alexandra Herrington Byron Center Charter School, Byron Center 1st place - Anna Morgan Carter Middle School, Warren 2nd place - Maggie Whitney 1st place - Jennifer Audet 3rd place - Alma Grace Vriesman 2nd place - Isabella Babbish 3rd place - Courtney Skrinner Byron Center Christian School, Byron Center 1st place - Jenna Gronsman Caseville Public School, Caseville 2nd place - Gabriele Sundelius 1st place - Olivia Grates 3rd place - Brittney Veldhouse 2nd place - Brandon Lecznar 3rd place - Carly Simmons Cadillac Heritage Christian School, Cadillac 1st place - Ella Williams CASMAN Alternative Academy, Manistee 2nd place - Bryce Pangborn 1st place - Jaisa DesJardins 3rd place - Abigail Fekete Central Academy, Ann Arbor Calvary Baptist Academy, Midland 1st place - Christina Brenner 1st place - Huda Vaid 2nd place - Abdallah Beghidja Calvary Schools of Holland, Holland 3rd place - Reneen Hasen 1st place - Landyn Beal 2nd place - Aaron Favier Centreville Junior High, Centreville 3rd place - Adeline Alderink 1st place - Shawn McNamara 2nd place - Samantha Mohney Canton Charter Academy, Canton 3rd place - Nicklaus Weber 1st place - Krupa Patel 2nd place - Eseosa Arhebamen Cheboygan Middle School, Cheboygan 1st place - Maurice Bronson Carl T. Renton Junior High School, New Boston 2nd place - Kevin Bur 1st place - Jakob Scroggie 3rd place - Samantha Carter 2nd place - Kendra Orban 3rd place - Karmin Spoonamore Chesaning Middle School, Chesaning Carleton Middle School, Sterling Heights 1st place - Brooke Keck 1st place - Taylor Nevinski 2nd place - Patrick Kue 2nd place - Sara Schultz 3rd place - Nathan Martin

Caro Middle School, Caro Chippewa Middle School, Okemos 1st place - Scarlet Bringard 1st place - Elizabeth Bartlett 2nd place - Kyle Graf 2nd place - Nicole Manning 3rd place - Mackenzie Baranski 3rd place - Ariana Truesdail

18 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Christ Lutheran School, Stevensville Corpus Christi Catholic School, Holland 1st place - Sarah Jackemeyer 1st place - Garett Shrode 2nd place - Morgan Virsik 2nd place - Matthew Asselin 3rd place - Cali Laughlin 3rd place - Philip LaPorte

Christ the King Lutheran School, Cramer Junior High, Essexville Southgate 1st place - Katie Bublitz 1st place - Noah Davis 2nd place - Jaylie Dice 3rd place - Abbey Behan Christian Leadership Academy, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Boys Middle School, 1st place - Hannah Rose Schmidt Bloomfield Hills 2nd place - Kyana Donaldson 1st place - Ned Mylod 3rd place - Mackenzie Buchan 2nd place - Kinan Wagner 3rd place - Jared Mettes Clare Middle School, Clare 1st place - Brandy Holt 2nd place - Heather Martin Crescent Academy International, Canton 3rd place - Brooke Rawson 1st place - Amani Abuelenain

Clarkston Junior High School, Clarkston Cross Lutheran School, Pigeon 1st place - Gillian Anderson 1st place - Lance Gascho 2nd place - Matthew Gencay 2nd place - Kirsten Shupe 3rd place - Kelly Cousino Cross of Glory Lutheran School, Washington Coleman Community Jr/Sr High 1st place - Anna Loeffler School, Coleman 2nd place - Matthew Miller 1st place - Shane Gross 3rd place - Javan Lowes 2nd place - Lucie Ullom 3rd place - Amelia Servis DeTour Village High School, DeTour Village 1st place - Jordan Hartley Colon Jr. / Sr. High School, Colon 2nd place - Holly Moser 1st place - Rachel Jensen 3rd place - Skylar Pardee 2nd place - Haley Tyler 3rd place - Myah Brimmer Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills 1st place - Jared Freeman Comstock Northeast Middle School, 2nd place - Natalie Albaran Kalamazoo 3rd place - Jae Young Chang 1st place - Kierra Lovelace 2nd place - David Hoskins 3rd place - Daryn Dratt Detroit Enterprise Academy, Detroit 1st place - Day-Jah Williamson Coopersville Middle School, Coopersville 2nd place - JaDan Fuggerson 1st place - Lucy Schuiling 3rd place - Ambria Ward 2nd place - Blake Reynolds 3rd place - Amanda Zomberg DeWitt Junior High School, DeWitt 1st place - Elliana Simon Cornerstone Christian Academy, Fremont 2nd place - Madeline Harrant 1st place - Joe Wheater 3rd place - Kara Johnson 19 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Discovery Middle School, Canton East Jordan Middle School, East Jordan 1st place - Jennifer Long Huang 1st place - Anna Roskamp 2nd place - Noor Shah 2nd place - Rayne Speer 3rd place - Apala Vaishnav 3rd place - Rebecca Barkley

Divine Child Elementary School, Dearborn East Rockford Middle School, Rockford 1st place - Kennedy Bingham 1st place - Paul Reinke 2nd place - Alaina Celeski 3rd place - Jessica Lesinski 2nd place - Greta Kruse 3rd place - Zoe Anderson Dowagiac Middle School, Dowagiac 1st place - Ciara Hinton Ebenzer Christian School, Ellsworth 2nd place - Elizabeth Turczi 1st place - Alleah Sundelius 3rd place - Haley Soderbloom 2nd place - Makayla Liermann

Dryden Community Schools, Dryden Eccles School - Sigel Township S.D. #4, 1st place - Lacey Davis Harbor Beach 2nd place - Elizabeth Irla 1st place - Aaron Talaski 3rd place - Hannah Weiss 2nd place - Rebecca Zurek 3rd place - A.J. Lewis Durand Middle School, Durand 1st place - Arlene Tyler 2nd place - Ashley Burk Edwardsburg Middle School, Edwardsburg 3rd place - Grant Hart 1st place - Hope Walls 2nd place - Stacey Snodgrass Dutton Christian Middle School, Caledonia 3rd place - Ann Marks 1st place - Kiley Hengeveld 2nd place - Will Warsen Emanuel Lutheran School, Lansing 1st place - Zach Pederson Dwight Beach Middle School, Chelsea 2nd place - Nick Gibson 1st place - Nora Fahle 3rd place - Joshua Kreiter 2nd place - Sarah Hintzen 3rd place - Max Caselli Emerson Middle School, Livonia E.F. Rittmueller Middle School, Frankenmuth 1st place - Ryan Celmer 1st place - Ryan Foley 2nd place - Jozef Mularkski 2nd place - Dana Williams 3rd place - Ashley Long 3rd place - Mikayla Philp Emmanuel Lutheran School, Dearborn Eagle Creek Academy, Oakland 1st place - Emma Noeller 1st place - Paul Pavliscak 2nd place - Dunya Abueita 2nd place - Jhenna Gamache 3rd place - Katherine Fodor 3rd place - Mary Jackson Engadine Consolidated Schools, Engadine East Hills Middle School, Bloomfield Hills 1st place - Evan McNeal 1st place - Camryn Brent 2nd place - Taylor Southward 2nd place - Aubrey Simmons 3rd place - Elena Marcozzi 3rd place - Justin Lumsden

East Jackson Middle School, Jackson F.C. Reed Middle School, Bridgman 1st place - Jenny Majchrowski 1st place - Tim Dunkel 2nd place - Simyah Gant 2nd place - Brock Dobbins 3rd place - Brooke Wollet 3rd place - Luke Wilcox

20 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Faith Christian School, Lake Odessa Gladstone Middle School, Gladstone 1st place - Lauren Weldy 1st place - Charlotte Strom 2nd place - Callie Edmonds 2nd place - Sydney Chouinard 3rd place - Andrew Gonyou 3rd place - Nicole Noblet

Faith Lutheran School, Bay City Gladwin Junior High School, Gladwin 1st place - Robin Rodriguez 1st place - Alia Bittner 2nd place - Zachary Bleicher 2nd place - Abigail Scott 3rd place - Cameron Ranck 3rd place - Wyatt Raymond

Fennville Middle School, Fennville Gobles Middle School, Gobles 1st place - Desiree Garcia 1st place - Sabrina Torres 2nd place - Cheyenne Wheeler 2nd place - Samantha Winne 3rd place - Lauren Gettys Forest Area Community Schools, Fife Lake 1st place - Ruth Archambault Godfrey-Lee Middle School, Wyoming 2nd place - Julia Hopson 1st place - Devon Weathers 2nd place - Diego Gandara Fort Gratiot Middle School, Fort Gratiot 3rd place - Jackelyn Garcia 1st place - Annelise Timm 2nd place - Ciara Heeckendorn Goodrich Middle School, Goodrich 1st place - Paige Dombrowski Fowlerville Junior High School, Fowlerville 2nd place - Skylar Szymkowski 1st place - Cameron Daniels 3rd place - Hunter Keefer 2nd place - Olivia Holmes 3rd place - Autumn Barbour Grand Blanc East Middle School, Grand Blanc Franklin Road Christian School, Novi 1st place - Andrea Benchley 1st place - Katherine Robinson 2nd place - Brittany Duddles 2nd place - Madelyn Holleman 3rd place - Jody Finch 3rd place - Megan Jones Grand Haven Christian School, Fremont Christian School, Fremont Grand Haven 1st place - Grace Krick 1st place - Catherine Bradford-Royle 2nd place - Seth Vander Kooi 2nd place - Hanna Klaassen 3rd place - Erica Grasley 3rd place - Natalie Van Houwelingen

Friends School in Detroit, Detroit Grand Traverse Academy, Traverse City 1st place - Solomon Jagun 1st place - Silas Kornexl 2nd place - Taylor Cotton 2nd place - Joe Cort 3rd place - Kamya Harrison 3rd place - Rachel Ko

Gaylord Middle School, Gaylord Grandville Middle School, Grandville 1st place - Maia Rinke 1st place - Amy Charboneau 2nd place - Macey Moyer 2nd place - Zoe Willoughby 3rd place - Katie Butler 3rd place - Sophie Kaminski

Gesu Catholic School, Detroit Grant Christian School, Grant 1st place - Benicia Booker 1st place - Emma Brink 2nd place - Kauai Johnson 2nd place - Grace Dole 3rd place - Kileyah Cook 3rd place - Curtis Omans 21 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Greater Lansing Adventist Harper Woods Middle School, School, Lansing Harper Woods 1st place - Joshua Perez 1st place - Katherine Jaminet 2nd place - Elijah Ringstaff 2nd place - Taylor Smith 3rd place - Delario Hall Grosse Ile Middle School, Grosse Ile 1st place - Garrett Davis Harrison Park, Grand Rapids 2nd place - Campbell Compeau 1st place - Maria Ramirez 3rd place - Chloe MacNee 2nd place - Amarion Houston 3rd place - Yadani Ayana Grosse Pointe Academy, Grosse Pointe 1st place - Sophie Leslie Hart Middle School, Hart 2nd place - Toriano Spencer 1st place - Emma Babbin 3rd place - Tate Kuelling 2nd place - Jaden Hanks 3rd place - Augustus Gale Guardian Angels School, Clawson 1st place - Jacob Bromm Hartford Middle School, Hartford 2nd place - Emma Clemons 1st place - Hayley Williams 3rd place - Christina Byk 2nd place - Adroama Davila 3rd place - Alex Szakal Guardian Lutheran School, Dearborn 1st place - Rachel Urso Hartland Middle School at 2nd place - Brendan Downer Ore Creek, Hartland 3rd place - Emily Flohr 1st place - Gage Schlueter 2nd place - Kaitlyn Redies Gwinn Middle School, Gwinn 3rd place - Nina Butts 1st place - Jasmine Westerberg 2nd place - Cassidy Johnson Haslett Middle School, Haslett 1st place - Kathleen Stattelman Hanover-Horton Middle School, Horton 1st place - Elizabeth Burmis 2nd place - Anneliese Stattelman 2nd place - Alayjah Cognata 3rd place - Eric Jordan 3rd place - Bo Shepherd Hayes Middle School, Grand Ledge Harbor Beach Middle School, Harbor Beach 1st place - Amari Travis 1st place - Victoria Pawlowski 2nd place - Halle Perry 2nd place - Kaira Ocomen 3rd place - Kaylin Cady Heritage Christian School, Hudsonville 1st place - Jori Eriks Harbor Springs Middle School, Harbor Springs Heritage Junior High School, Sterling Heights 1st place - Maddy Fuhrman 1st place - Mara Woods 2nd place - Grace Roguska 2nd place - Jayla Bradford 3rd place - Marin Hoffman 3rd place - Divya Seenivasan

Harper Creek Middle School, Battle Creek Hillsdale Academy, Hillsdale 1st place - Sophia Weller 1st place - Toni-Marie Gossage 2nd place - Savannah Shifflett 2nd place - Nolan Sullivan 3rd place - Ryan McCafferty 3rd place - Abigail Grenke 22 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Hillside Middle School, Northville Holy Trinity School, Comstock Park 1st place - Barbara Davis 1st place - Jordan Triick 2nd place - Emma Petropoulos 2nd place - Megan Parker 3rd place - Jeremy Puckett 3rd place - Nick Reidzans

Holland Christian Middle School, Holland Hopkins Middle School, Hopkins 1st place - Chloe Vander Laan 1st place - Katelyn Pendock 2nd place - Analisia Hines 2nd place - Emily Poling 3rd place - Lucy VanRegenmorter 3rd place - Brooklyn Keenan

Holt Lutheran School, Holt Houghton Lake High School, 1st place - Antonea Harris Houghton Lake 2nd place - Myah O’Sullivan 1st place - April Johnson 3rd place - Michael Eaton 2nd place - Halie Stuhlmann 3rd place - Lauren Perry Holton Middle School, Holton 1st place - RyLee Nakamura Howardsville Christian School, Marcellus 2nd place - Danielle Tanner 1st place - Jessica Rosales 2nd place - Lucas Withers 3rd place - Lindsey Westerhouse 3rd place - Olyvia Johnson Holy Cross Lutheran School, Saginaw Huda School & Montessori, Franklin 1st place - Nathan Krueger 1st place - Nadia Khan 2nd place - Emily Becker 2nd place - Danya Obeid 3rd place - Matthew Jahnke 3rd place - Malik Aljamal Holy Family Catholic School, Grand Blanc Hudsonville Christian Middle School, 1st place - Sheridan Allen Hudsonville 2nd place - Payton Ranville 1st place - Meselech Beld 3rd place - Shane Gantos 2nd place - Megan Van Houten

Holy Ghost Lutheran School, Monroe Ida Middle School, Ida 1st place - Alex Elliott 1st place - Jacob Vandervlucht 2nd place - Ryan Langton 2nd place - Jessie McLachlin 3rd place - Lauren D’Haene 3rd place - Riley Vargas

Holy Name Catholic School, Escanaba IHM - St. Casimir Middle School, Lansing 1st place - Janel LaPalm 1st place - Kaitlin Buckwalter 2nd place - Victoria Chenier 2nd place - John Scrimger 3rd place - Claire McInerey 3rd place - Isabella Centeno

Holy Name School, Birmingham Immaculate Conception Catholic School, Ira 1st place - Emily Rooney 1st place - Dominic Jakubowski 2nd place - Gabrielle Healy 2nd place - Amy Charbonneau 3rd place - Bryn Parks 3rd place - Rachel Rhein

Holy Redeemer Grade School, Detroit Immanuel Lutheran School, Bay City 1st place - Irma Jaramillo 1st place - Leah Sneller 2nd place - Jeovanni Jimenez 2nd place - Tiana Storey 3rd place - Anika Mosley 3rd place - Brendan Samsell 23 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Immanuel Lutheran School, Saginaw Jeffers Junior-Senior High School, 1st place - Luke Kaul Painesdale 2nd place - Casey Schaeff 1st place - Cierra Stevens 3rd place - Sophee Robinson 2nd place - Bethany Foreman 3rd place - Emma Pietila Immanuel Lutheran School, Macomb 1st place - Nicole Fluegge Jenison Christian Middle School, Jenison 2nd place - Caleb Deer 1st place - Kylie Matthysse 3rd place - Isabelle Melis 2nd place - Ashley Mulder

Inter-City Baptist High School, Allen Park JKL Bahweting Middle School, 1st place - Jessiann Wiedmann Sault Ste. Marie 2nd place - Hope Tally 1st place - Griffin Zajkowski 3rd place - Marissa Manville 2nd place - Morgaine Brennan 3rd place - Sydnie Dumas Ionia Middle School, Ionia 1st place - Addison Baylis Johannesburg Middle School, 2nd place - Grace Riccius Johannesburg 3rd place - Rachel Bestrom 1st place - Caleigh Madej 2nd place - Brandy Baker 3rd place - Jasmyn Priestley Iron Mountain Central Middle School, Iron Mountain John E. Owens High School, Reading 1st place - Miranda Julian 1st place - Carter Penney 2nd place - Hannah Reichhart Iroquois Middle School, Macomb 3rd place - Dakota Shay 1st place - Jason Ribbentrop 2nd place - Alexis Vought John Paul II Catholic School, Lincoln Park 3rd place - Melissa Varghese 1st place - Nina Biundo 2nd place - Genevieve Kozak Island City Academy, Eaton Rapids 3rd place - Anna Izzo 1st place - Estrella Huerta 2nd place - Aurora Woodman Jonesville Middle School, Jonesville 3rd place - Racole Darling 1st place - Megan Miler 2nd place - Jenna Glassburn Jackson Catholic Middle School, Jackson 3rd place - Jettsen Behm 1st place - Michael Richards 2nd place - Cameron White Joy Preparatory Academy, Detroit 3rd place - Joey Imperial 1st place - Cierra Murphy

Jackson Christian Middle School, Jackson Juniata Christian School, Vassar 1st place - Maria Salow 1st place - Hannah Rickerd 2nd place - Alexis Hannewald 2nd place - Heather Cooper 3rd place - Cassidy McNeil 3rd place - Dominick Bennett

James R. Geisler Middler School, Walled Lake Kelloggsville Middle School, Grand Rapids 1st place - Ankita Rao 1st place - Michael Huynh 2nd place - Riley Barry 2nd place - Grady Sakshaug 3rd place - Sachi Arora 3rd place - Allison Diaz 24 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Kent City Junior/Senior High School, Kent City L’Anse Creuse Middle School East, 1st place - Teanna McCuaig Chesterfield 2nd place - Hunter Nelson 1st place - Elizabeth Foley 3rd place - Isabella Kruis 2nd place - Allison Sutter 3rd place - Olivia Brown Kraft Meadows Middle School, Caledonia 1st place - Kirsten Peek 2nd place - Samantha Williams Lansing Christian School, Lansing 3rd place - Ashley Grove 1st place - Jenna Li 2nd place - Lydia Whipple Laingsburg Christian School, Laingsburg 3rd place - Davis Tebben 1st place - Jonathan Nichols Lawrence Jr. Sr. High School, Lawrence Laingsburg Middle School, Laingsburg 1st place - Micalah Brundage 1st place - Emma Beal 2nd place - Brett Baker 2nd place - Arianna Avina 3rd place - Sophie Wilsey 3rd place - Ashley Dean

Lake City Middle School, Lake City Lawton Middle School, Lawton 1st place - Trevor VanHaitsma 1st place - Alissa Waite 2nd place - Jimmy Young 2nd place - Kendra Hudson 3rd place - Ethan Linderman 3rd place - Andrew Gunnett Lake Michigan Catholic Jr/Sr High School, St. Joseph Legacy Christian School, Grand Rapids 1st place - Tanner Nutting 1st place - Jack Spencer 2nd place - Dominic Damico 2nd place - Chase Coke 3rd place - Anna LaSata 3rd place - Rhiannon Beintema

Lakeview High School, Lakeview 1st place - Alissa Bonkowski Legg Middle School, Coldwater 2nd place - Caleb Inman 1st place - Micki Slack 3rd place - Lilienne Moore 2nd place - Carly Duke 3rd place - Brandon Hartman Lakeview Middle School, Battle Creek 1st place - Ryan Hopkins Lenawee Christian School, Adrian 2nd place - Susan Par 1st place - William Kliesch 3rd place - Nettie Chane 2nd place - Lucas King Lakeville Middle School, Otisville 3rd place - Camille Hinkley 1st place - Alexis Cargill Lincoln Middle School, Ypsilanti Lakewood Middle School, Woodland 1st place - Bryce Watkins 1st place - Lucas Jackson 2nd place - Jalen White 2nd place - Sydney Chase 3rd place - Alexis Slovinski 3rd place - Kayla Sauers

Lamont Christian School, Coopersville Lowrey Junior High School, Dearborn 1st place - Anthony Stroven 1st place - Ayah Chami 2nd place - Chloe Pals 2nd place - Molouk Harp 3rd place - Zachary Drost 3rd place - Zeinab Khattab 25 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Luther L. Wright Junior-Senior High Mason County Eastern Junior/Senior School, Ironwood High, Custer 1st place - Angelina Jarvela 1st place - Alexandra Van Sledright 2nd place - MaKenzie Marshall 2nd place - McKenna Lake 3rd place - Madison Clausen 3rd place - Campbell Shoup

Mattawan Middle School, Mattawan Macomb Christian Schools, Warren 1st place - Tyler Krasny 1st place - Mikayla Mitchell 2nd place - Rylee Miller 2nd place - Anthony Zambo 3rd place - Emma Brown 3rd place - Carson Washburn McBain Rural Agricultural Mancelona Middle School, Mancelona Schools, McBain 1st place - Mystina Barber 1st place - Lucy Rees 2nd place - Shawna Buckler 2nd place - Kaden Jacobson 3rd place - Rebecca Morrison 3rd place - Kennedy Pollington

Mendon Middle School, Mendon Manistee Catholic Central School, 1st place - Arjun Vorster Manistee 2nd place - Emily Loudenslager 1st place - Johnna Hanson 3rd place - Cole Burpee 2nd place - Mason Callesen 3rd place - Barry Seymour Menominee Catholic Central School, Menominee Mar Lee School, Marshall 1st place - Taylor Johnson 1st place - Bailey Hoffman 2nd place - Jennifer McMahon 2nd place - Bradley Brubaker 3rd place - Celeste Haines 3rd place - Austin Amaro Menominee Junior High School, Menominee Marlette Jr/Sr High School, Marlette 1st place - Kallan Wilde 1st place - Jennifer Newland 2nd place - Nelly Sanchez 2nd place - Emily Schaub 3rd place - Jaden Russell 3rd place - Zachary Herman Merritt Academy, New Haven Marshall Middle School, Marshall 1st place - Emily Gittens 1st place - Derry Kramer 2nd place - Maddyson Timms 2nd place - Iris Tullar 3rd place - Caprice Darr 3rd place - Natalie Stiner Metro Charter Academy, Romulus Martin Junior High School, Martin 1st place - Hafeez Oyeneyin 1st place - Gabriella Hansen Michigan Math & Science Academy, 2nd place - Frankie Johnson Center Line 3rd place - Micala Young 1st place - Justin Wilton

Marysville Middle School, Marysville Mid Peninsula High School, Rock 1st place - RJ Russel 1st place - Kaitlyn LaChapelle 2nd place - Hannah Delor 2nd place - McKenna LaCosse 3rd place - Hayley Delor 3rd place - Samantha Wilson 26 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Mio-AuSable Junior High School, Mio North Dickinson School, Felch 1st place - Ryan Everly 1st place - Lily Segerdahl 2nd place - Reighan Johnson Moline Christian School, Moline 3rd place - John Nelson 1st place - Ally Bird North Pointe Christian Middle School, Moran Township School, St. Ignace Grand Rapids 1st place - Alicia Garen 1st place - Alyce Apol 2nd place - Abby Larsen 2nd place - Cassandra Cook 3rd place - Aaron Welch 3rd place - Alek Hedlund Most Holy Trinity School, Fowler 1st place - Mariele Feldpausch North Rockford Middle School, Rockford 2nd place - James Wohlfert 1st place - Eden Stargardt 3rd place - Anthony Hufnagel 2nd place - Nicholas Besta 3rd place - Randall Bryant Mt. Morris Junior High School, Mt. Morris 1st place - Dillon Johnson Northern Michigan Christian School, 2nd place - Tabitha Salami McBain 3rd place - Hailey Wheeler 1st place - Emerson Romanchuk 2nd place - Grace VanHaitsma Muskegon Catholic Central Middle 3rd place - Anna Tea-Hui School, Muskegon 1st place - Adam Gawron Northport Public School, Northport 2nd place - Sama Daweth 1st place - Sarah Reynolds 3rd place - Zoie Price 2nd place - Joan Ogemaw Nellie B. Chisholm Middle School, Montague 3rd place - Tiana Schocko 1st place - Jakeb Schilz 2nd place - Heather Levasseur Northville Christian School, Northville 3rd place - Savanah Wiegand 1st place - Neha Seshadri 2nd place - Jordan Modjeski New Bedford Academy, Lambertville 3rd place - Grace Fanelli 1st place - Jacob Sweet 2nd place - Tiahna Mosley Northwest Kidder Middle School, Jackson 3rd place - Isabelle Williams 1st place - Deidra Lyons 2nd place - Hannah Parsons New Lothrop Area Schools, New Lothrop 1st place - Rebekah Stankiewicz O.J. DeJonge Junior High, Ludington 2nd place - Savannah Taylor 1st place - Allison May 3rd place - Kennedi Church 2nd place - Ben Knoer 3rd place - Lance Root North Adams-Jerome Schools, North Adams 1st place - Kate Drawe 2nd place - Emilee Cramer Olivet Middle School, Olivet 3rd place - Jennifer Haire 1st place - Ashley Stempfley 2nd place - Gabe Moore North Branch Middle School, North Branch 3rd place - Anna Williams 1st place - Rachel Schwartz 2nd place - Grace Pfromm Orchard Lake Middle School, West Bloomfield 3rd place - Brianna DeMeyers 1st place - Rishabh Parekh 27 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Otsego Middle School, Otsego Oxford Middle School, Oxford 1st place - Eryn Dendel 1st place - Kaylee Seeling 2nd place - Sofia Hessler Our Lady of Lake Huron School, Harbor Beach 3rd place - Emilie Appleyard 1st place - Julian Tenerife 2nd place - Owen Woody Parchment Middle School, Parchment 3rd place - Cole Anderson 1st place - Lauren Heaney 2nd place - Amber Pryor Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic 3rd place - Delaney Novak School, Farmington 1st place - Ryan Houlihan Parker Middle School, Howell 2nd place - Aaron Amaya 1st place - Hanna Schimmel 3rd place - Gabriella Mukhtar 2nd place - Isabel Swartzmiller 3rd place - Anna Stocker Our Lady of the Lakes Middle School, Waterford Peace Lutheran School, Warren 1st place - Michael Fluegel 1st place - Brooke Ann Duerr 2nd place - Olivia Hankey 2nd place - Larysa Transit 3rd place - Charlotte Szakal 3rd place - Courtney Oltman Our Lady of Victory School, Northville Peace Lutheran School, Livonia 1st place - Meredith Green 1st place - Mark Sabit 2nd place - Grace Gulowski 2nd place - Nathan Hockenberry 3rd place - Caitlin Jefferson 3rd place - Nick Doletzky Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Peace Lutheran School, Shelby Township Grosse Pointe Woods 1st place - Mallory Belisle 1st place - Samantha Lopiccolo 2nd place - Madison Brown 2nd place - John Lizza 3rd place - Tim Stockman 3rd place - Katelynn Mulder

Our Savior Lutheran, Lansing Peace Lutheran School, Saginaw 1st place - Wesley Joubert 1st place - Eliza Gorsline 2nd place - Dasja Nappier 2nd place - Sadie Kapp 3rd place - Michael Moldenhauer 3rd place - Peyton Schmidt

Our Savior Lutheran School, Grand Rapids Pellston Middle School, Pellston 1st place - Rachel Mueller 1st place - Haley Taylor 2nd place - Darnell Frye II 2nd place - Abbigail Fowler 3rd place - Anna Baermann 3rd place - Taylor Myroniuk

Owendale-Gagetown Area School, Pennfield Dunlap Middle School, Owendale Battle Creek 1st place - Aaron Fahrner 1st place - Julia Miklusicak 2nd place - Luke Retford 2nd place - Emily Tolf 3rd place - Zane Schember 3rd place - Jaylyn Shephard

Owosso Middle School, Owosso Petoskey Middle School, Petoskey 1st place - Andrew Dallas 1st place - Mikayla Lowell 2nd place - Bailey Griffith 2nd place - Ryan Bickel 3rd place - Taylor Ladd 3rd place - David Paquette 28 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Pickford Middle School, Pickford Ravenna Middle School, Ravenna 1st place - Kelsie Sibbald 1st place - Lauren Hapser 2nd place - Taylor Opolka 2nd place - Hayley Dekker 3rd place - Samuel Bush 3rd place - Kayla Spoelman

Pinconning Area Middle School, Resurrection School, Lansing Pinconning 1st place - Maggie Jacobs 1st place - Marissa Dake 2nd place - Carson Abbott 2nd place - Rayce Reinshuttle 3rd place - Fisher Welch 3rd place - Dakota Anderson Reuther Middle School, Rochester Pinewood Middle School, Kentwood 1st place - Keneth Sokoli 1st place - Brenna Wisdom 2nd place - Angela Mammel 2nd place - Rachel Nichols 3rd place - Delna Sholapurwalla 3rd place - Annalise Brandon Richmond Middle School, Richmond Pittsford Area School, Pittsford 1st place - Haley Fortuna 1st place - Mollie Smith 2nd place - Dylan Clemons 2nd place - Luke Gier 3rd place - Caitlin Weishaar 3rd place - Madison Monahan Ring Lardner Junior High School, Niles Pleasant View Elementary Magnet 1st place - Julia Kosten School, Lansing 2nd place - Alec Janowski 1st place - Theresa Cheeks 3rd place - Olivia Bella 2nd place - Radasha Ashley 3rd place - Julianna Rogers City Area Schools, Rogers City Markham-Adkison 1st place - Caitlin Eisenstein 2nd place - Nicholas Budnick Plymouth Christian Academy, Canton 3rd place - Hannah Flemming 1st place - Seth Windle

Plymouth Christian High School, Romeo Middle School, Romeo Grand Rapids 1st place - Marina Fietsam 1st place - Micah Kruithoff 2nd place - Daniel Vance 2nd place - Janine Sweetman 3rd place - Lily Hansen 3rd place - Anika DeMeester Ross Beatty High School, Cassopolis Potterville Public Schools, Potterville 1st place - Thomas Hunter Colley V 1st place - Allison Gilliam 2nd place - Christopher Cox 2nd place - Chanler Kendrick 3rd place - Dana Majewski 3rd place - Courtney Peterson Royal Oak Middle School, Royal Oak Powell Middle School, Washington 1st place - Eve Anderson 1st place - Grace Konnie 2nd place - Adrienne Parks 2nd place - Katie Vega 3rd place - Mara Gottschling Sacred Heart Academy, Mt. Pleasant 1st place - Kate Goenner Prairie Baptist School, Scotts 2nd place - Diana Lebeau 1st place - Ravennah Gray 3rd place - Hannah Adinkrah 29 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Sacred Heart School, Dearborn Sault Area Middle School, Sault Ste. Marie 1st place - Cameron Godin 1st place - Haley Alaspa 2nd place - Jonathan DeBerardino 2nd place - Matt Knowles 3rd place - Katharine Walters 3rd place - Shaina Sauro

Schoolcraft Middle School, Schoolcraft Saint Thecla Elementary School, 1st place - Rene Andino Clinton Township 2nd place - Brooke Crissman 1st place - Gladys Oster 3rd place - Zoey Dubuisson 2nd place - Judy Oska 3rd place - Robert Kroll Seneca Middle School, Macomb 1st place - Corbin Hison Salem Lutheran School, Owosso 2nd place - Erika Unalivia 1st place - Allison Perry 3rd place - Mackenzie Bailey 2nd place - Abigail Svarc 3rd place - Raeanne Forrester Shelby Junior High School, Shelby Township 1st place - Rileigh Wardzinski Saline Middle School, Saline 2nd place - Bridgette Tepper 1st place - Hailey Sullivan 3rd place - Gabriella Braun 2nd place - Rebecca Mitchell 3rd place - Jessica Lyons Shrine Academy, Royal Oak 1st place - Bridget LaPoint Sally Allan Alexander Beth Jacobs 2nd place - Cassie Morris School, Oak Park 3rd place - Tiffany Ellison 1st place - Chumie Groundland 2nd place - Estee Luss Spiritus Sanctus Academy, Ann Arbor 3rd place - Devorah Gelberman 1st place - Lauren Chewter 2nd place - Christen Schoenle 3rd place - Miriam Wong Sampson Webber Academy, Detroit 1st place - Karnae Riddle Spiritus Sanctus Academy, Plymouth 2nd place - Desire Smith 1st place - John Blaney 3rd place - Alfred Sheffield 2nd place - Jacob Grobbel 3rd place - Blaine Ritz Sandusky High School, Sandusky 1st place - Jared Tubbs Spring Lake Middle School, Spring Lake 2nd place - Cassidy Albrecht 1st place - Ava Hatton 3rd place - Haley Nelson 2nd place - Jenna Hoffius 3rd place - Audra Bialik Sarah Banks Middle School, Wixom St. Anselm School, Dearborn Heights 1st place - Liza Knight 1st place - Natalie Delaney 2nd place - Anna Goward 2nd place - Monica Allen 3rd place - Joseph Russell 3rd place - Sidney Caudell

Saranac Jr/Sr High School, Saranac St. Anthony of Padua School, Grand Rapids 1st place - Kaitlyn Depotty 1st place - Ashley Vandermeulen 2nd place - Audra Hawkins 2nd place - Rachel Heibel 3rd place - Jonathan Greenfield 3rd place - Morgan Hipp 30 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… St. Augustine School, Richmond St. Germaine Catholic School, 1st place - Juliana Cieglo Saint Clair Shores 2nd place - James Powers 1st place - Malen Taylor 3rd place - Cecelia Haden 2nd place - Madalyn Slabaugh 3rd place - Chris Federlein St. Brigid Catholic School, Midland 1st place - Jacob Pasek St. Hugo of the Hills School, 2nd place - Daniel Baker Bloomfield Hills 3rd place - Monica Rose Martin 1st place - Mary Claire Vachon 2nd place - Cameron Schneider St. Charles School, Newport 3rd place - Charlotte Krause 1st place - Alexandria Zelenak 2nd place - Josephine Patterson St. Joan of Arc School, St. Clair Shores 3rd place - Claire Bechard 1st place - Nathan Davis 2nd place - Emma Fetterman St. Charles School, Greenville 3rd place - Lauren Ross 1st place - Hunter DeWitt 2nd place - Gerritt Weick St. John Lutheran School, Fraser 3rd place - Noah Amidon 1st place - Megan Guiles 2nd place - Cole Misuraca St. Clare of Montefalco School, 3rd place - Gracie Cairns Grosse Pointe Park 1st place - Andrew Hallam St. John Lutheran School, Bay City 2nd place - Akil McDaniel 1st place - Mackenzie Town 3rd place - Ananda Vaughn 2nd place - Rachel Helmreich 3rd place - Kendall Merritt St. Edith School, Livonia 1st place - Rory Cox St. John Lutheran School, Rochester 2nd place - Maria Galaviz 1st place - Emma Kuo 3rd place - Fidaa Dib 2nd place - Rebecca Oleskie 3rd place - Madelyn Stevens St. Elizabeth Area Catholic School, Reese 1st place - Kirk Barber St. John Vianney Catholic School, Flint 2nd place - Anthony Wark 1st place - Drew Holifield 3rd place - Brandon Beattie 2nd place - Nikhil Mukkamala 3rd place - Matt Hutchings St. Francis of Assisi School, Ann Arbor 1st place - Michael MacGillivray St. John’s Lutheran School, Bay City 2nd place - Catherine Sesi 1st place - Calista Hernandez 3rd place - Sarah Morris 2nd place - Amanda Salgat 3rd place - Dayna Pembroke St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, Petoskey St. John’s Lutheran School, New Boston 1st place - William Coveyou 1st place - Gage Lewen 2nd place - Seth Izzard 2nd place - Samantha Jackman 3rd place - Allison Hoffman 3rd place - Zachary Whitt

St. Gerard School, Lansing St. John’s Lutheran School, Port Hope 1st place - Charlie Mora 1st place - Morgan Gust 2nd place - Jeremy Guerrazzi 2nd place - Elijah Ceplecha 3rd place - Cassidy Johnson 3rd place - Melissa Siemen 31 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… St. John’s Lutheran School, Hemlock St. Mary / McCormick Catholic 1st place - Ryan Davidson Academy, Port Huron 2nd place - Meghan Bartlett 1st place - Jared Fuller 3rd place - Jamie McPhail 2nd place - Gabrielle Ogden 3rd place - Delaney Southers St. John’s Lutheran School, Westland St. Mary Cathedral School, Gaylord 1st place - Joyce Tranchida 1st place - Averi Bebble 2nd place - Raven Henry 2nd place - Bryce Seidell 3rd place - Nathan Prieskorn 3rd place - Ben Handley

St. John’s Lutheran School, Saginaw St. Mary Catholic School, Pinckney 1st place - Laura Schrader 1st place - Tyler deBeauclair 2nd place - Matt Taylor 2nd place - Alexis Sanchez 3rd place - Carmen Capstick St. Joseph School, Lake Orion 1st place - Dylan Daye St. Mary Catholic School, Rockwood 2nd place - Paulina Ramirez-Gomez 1st place - Liam Jakovac 3rd place - Sarah Siekkinen 2nd place - Drew Dykowski 3rd place - Elizabeth Gower St. Joseph School, West Branch 1st place - Josephine Mathis St. Mary School, Spring Lake 1st place - Leah Mckenna 2nd place - Emma Waack 2nd place - Matt Gagnon 3rd place - Morgan Green 3rd place - Christina Byrne

St. Joseph School, Pewamo St. Mary School, Mt. Clemens 1st place - Karson Hengesbach 1st place - Jonathan Kowynia 2nd place - Olivia Smith 2nd place - Genevieve Penn-Nabity 3rd place - Grace Thelen 3rd place - Angela Angelucci

St. Joseph School, Battle Creek St. Mary’s Catholic School, St. Clair 1st place - Jack Gallagher 1st place - Carly Delor 2nd place - Adam Ritsema 2nd place - Erin Parlow 3rd place - Kirstin Finnila 3rd place - Julia Kukawka

St. Lorenz Lutheran School, Frankenmuth St. Matthew Lutheran School, Walled Lake 1st place - Lauren Frank 1st place - Jack Dooley 2nd place - Nicholas Frahm 2nd place - Olivia Maurer 3rd place - Ronia Cabansag 3rd place - Hannah Loucks St. Michael Lutheran School, Richville St. Luke Lutheran School, 1st place - Holly Gray Clinton Township 2nd place - Emily Beller 1st place - Lynsey Woomer 3rd place - Dana Rodammer 2nd place - Ashley Soley 3rd place - Hailee Gore St. Monica Catholic School, Kalamazoo 1st place - Delaney Hewitt St. Margaret School, Otsego 2nd place - Sydney Hale 1st place - Rachel Beckwith 3rd place - Andrew Lucas 32 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… St. Patrick School, Carleton St. Peter Lutheran School, Macomb 1st place - Jillian Theobald 1st place - Lacey Juengel 2nd place - Adam Simpson 2nd place - Rachel Zauel 3rd place - Garrick Beste-Walz 3rd place - Lindsey Karam

St. Patrick School, Ada St. Peter’s Lutheran School, Big Rapids 1st place - Grace Webb 1st place - Maura Fitzpatrick 2nd place - Julie Farrier 2nd place - Bethany Blattner 3rd place - Leah Maginnis 3rd place - Nichole Mitchell St. Peter’s Lutheran School, Plymouth St. Patrick School, Brighton 1st place - Kimberly Beckerman 1st place - Collin Meaney 2nd place - Damon Pearce 2nd place - Jimmy Connor 3rd place - Caleb Schroeder 3rd place - Matthew Buschman St. Peter’s Lutheran School, Richmond St. Patricks School, Portland 1st place - Rachel Simons 1st place - Lauren Bengel 2nd place - Rachel Busch 3rd place - Dakota Stewart St. Paul Catholic School, Owosso 1st place - Josie Hufnagel St. Pius X Catholic School, Flint 2nd place - Blake Birchmeier 1st place - Evan Babka 2nd place - Rachel Doerr 3rd place - Savanah Horner 3rd place - Benjamin Kessler St. Paul Lutheran School, Stevensville St. Pius X School, Southgate 1st place - Liza Moncrief 1st place - Madison Fedele 2nd place - Zebulon Papenfuss 2nd place - Noah Wigginton 3rd place - Christopher Graebel 3rd place - Hannah Eory

St. Paul Lutheran School, Millington St. Raphael School, Garden City 1st place - Rylyn Roth 1st place - Adia Ciecierski 2nd place - Hannah Hall 2nd place - Sharon Woodard 3rd place - Alexis Rolfe 3rd place - Gregory Rouland

St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Saginaw St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic School, 1st place - Katie Gray Flushing 2nd place - Hailey Ruediger 1st place - Anastasia Rousseau 2nd place - Elise Biederman 3rd place - Donilyn Goddard 3rd place - Elizabeth Reed St. Peter Lutheran School, Hemlock St. Robert Bellarmine School, Redford 1st place - Joseph Guttowsky 1st place - Niamh Maloney 2nd place - Lindsay Hagenow 2nd place - Chevonne Wheeler 3rd place - Katie Fehn 3rd place - Krystyna Myslinski

St. Peter Lutheran School, Eastpointe St. Stanislaus School, Dorr 1st place - Olivia Rice 1st place - Sydney Urben 2nd place - Madison Scott 2nd place - Noelle Oman 3rd place - Megan Haller 3rd place - Chanlyn Commons 33 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… St. Stephen School, New Boston Swartz Creek Middle School, 1st place - Madison Fluent Swartz Creek 2nd place - Delmar Carr III 1st place - Emani Davis 3rd place - Jonathan Hedges 2nd place - Haley Combs 3rd place - Katarina Jonascu St. Thomas More Academy, Burton T.S. Nurnberger Middle School, St. Louis 1st place - Margaret Beste 1st place - Hallie Fales 2nd place - Mary Abbott 2nd place - Gabriella Nava 3rd place - Maria Leblanc 3rd place - Patrick Hawley

St. Thomas the Apostle School, Taylor Exemplar Academy, Taylor Grand Rapids 1st place - Jarod Wladysiak 1st place - Anna Simonait 2nd place - Taranbir Kaur 2nd place - Sarah Baxter 3rd place - Claire DenBraber Tekonsha Middle School, Tekonsha 1st place - Paighton Huff 2nd place - Brittney Sammons St. Valentine School, Redford 3rd place - Sarah Runyon 1st place - Ravyn Clanton 2nd place - Christian Vargas The Chatfield School, Lapeer 3rd place - Danielle Mondoux 1st place - Elise Dudley 2nd place - Eli Dunsmore St. William Catholic School, Walled Lake 3rd place - Kane Sweet 1st place - Justin Petrill 2nd place - Elizabeth Dulzo The Japhet School, Madison Heights 3rd place - Amanda Paler 1st place - Katya Kornievskaia 2nd place - Taryn Harrison Star International Academy, The Midland Academy, Midland Dearborn Heights 1st place - Dylan Doak 1st place - Amira Habhab 2nd place - Brooke Tweedie 2nd place - Hadeel Abdelkader 3rd place - Kennedy Franklin 3rd place - Furat Al-Waely Thompson Middle School, Southfield Stevenson Middle School, Westland 1st place - Skye Dewitt 1st place - Sydney Lowery 2nd place - Damia Wright 2nd place - Jenna Deering 3rd place - Kennedy Smith 3rd place - Torrionah Miller Traverse City Christian School, Sturgis Middle School, Sturgis Traverse City 1st place - Emma Holtvluwer 1st place - Hannah Bowen 2nd place - Braden Weber 2nd place - Donte Brown 3rd place - Sarah James 3rd place - Jesse Pattison Traverse City East Junior High School, Swan Valley Middle School, Saginaw Traverse City 1st place - Kelsey Landra 1st place - Margot Woughter 2nd place - Annabelle Midcalf 2nd place - Savannah Stepke 3rd place - Emily Buska 3rd place - Gabriel Chung 34 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Tri-County Middle School, Howard City Tri-Unity Christian School, Wyoming 1st place - Amy Wheeler 1st place - Nomsa Nyambe 2nd place - Austin Ulrich 2nd place - Isabelle Eerdmans 3rd place - Britney Workman 3rd place - Jarred Baeder

Trillium Academy, Taylor Ubly Junior High School, Ubly 1st place - Reyna Rodriquez 1st place - Macy Knoblock 2nd place - Talia Beckman 2nd place - Ashton Lemke 3rd place - Breanna Dietz 3rd place - David Sorenson

Trinity Lutheran School, Bay City Union City Middle School, Union City 1st place - Tyler Pashak 1st place - Rachel Lipscomb 2nd place - Katherine Greene 2nd place - Joshua Lee 3rd place - Olivia Kowalski 3rd place - Hayden Black Trinity Lutheran School, Reese 1st place - Kennedy Krieger Unionville-Sebewaing Area Middle 2nd place - Aaron Dennis School, Sebewaing 3rd place - Kelly Ratajczak 1st place - Mackenzie Nusz 2nd place - Amelia Gangler Trinity Lutheran School, Jackson 3rd place - Mya Atkari 1st place - Brittney Bones 2nd place - Hope Hinton University Liggett School, 3rd place - Jared Oberst Grosse Pointe Woods 1st place - Jackson Wujek Trinity Lutheran School, Utica 2nd place - Holland McClinton 1st place - Elli Herppich 3rd place - Annelies Ondersma 2nd place - Austin Fearn 3rd place - Justin Peck University of Detroit Jesuit Acad & HS, Detroit Trinity Lutheran School, Berrien Springs 1st place - Kevin Williams 1st place - Nathan Adams 2nd place - Jaden Thomas 2nd place - Gabrielle Umana 3rd place - Landen Adamski 3rd place - Matthew Carpenter Upton Middle School, St. Joseph Trinity Lutheran School, Clinton Township 1st place - Hannah Moore 1st place - Preston McKale 2nd place - Haley Kutchie 2nd place - Caroline Hardies 3rd place - Ryan Haynes 3rd place - Riley Simmonds

Trinity Lutheran School, Bay City Vanderbilt Area School, Vanderbilt 1st place - Colton Rau 1st place - Ester Arlt 2nd place - Jacob Garwick 2nd place - Samantha Luft 3rd place - Adam Arrowsmith 3rd place - Nicolas Straub

Trinity Lutheran School, Monroe Vassar Middle School, Vassar 1st place - Savannah Grieve 1st place - Mollie Davis 2nd place - Kyle Peazel 2nd place - Ashley Gary 3rd place - Ian Ryan 3rd place - Lindsey Hervert 35 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Verona Mills Elementary School, Bad Axe Wexford Montessori Magnet 1st place - Aurora Krueger School, Lansing 2nd place - Zackory Schweitzer 1st place - Noah Snider 3rd place - Mathew Edwards Whitefish Township Middle School, Waldron Area Schools, Waldron 1st place - Kaitlin Wilcox Paradise 2nd place - George Kintner 1st place - Liam Pigeau 3rd place - Randi Jacobs Whitehall Middle School, Whitehall Warren Woods Christian School, Warren 1st place - Adrianna Southhall 1st place - Jamie Zelewski 2nd place - Kaytlyn Honore 2nd place - Michael Jones 3rd place - Madalyn Boyd 3rd place - Sohil Jain

Washtenaw Christian Academy, Saline Whitmore Lake High School, 1st place - Josiah Lewis Whitmore Lake 2nd place - Elijah Poisson 1st place - Spencer Chagnon 3rd place - Rebecca Thomas 2nd place - Cody Redman 3rd place - Ryan Bank Wayland Union Middle School, Wayland 1st place - Jessica Henderson 2nd place - Camilyn Huyck Williamston Middle School, Williamston 3rd place - Chloe Tobin 1st place - Jack Bellinger 2nd place - Isabelle Herb West Hills Middle School, West 3rd place - Alexis Russell Bloomfield 1st place - Kyle Peres Woodland School, Traverse City 2nd place - Kendy Lewis 1st place - Delaney Jorgensen 3rd place - Shaveena Sivapalan 2nd place - Sage Rancour West Iron County Middle School, Iron 3rd place - Peyton Reilly River 1st place - Steven Nelson Wyandot Middle School, 2nd place - Neil Tomasoski Clinton Township 3rd place - Victoria Maloney 1st place - Kylie Kuskowski 2nd place - Veronika Vucaj West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science, Walker 3rd place - Hannah Garavaglia 1st place - Alyssa Juarez 2nd place - Isabelle TenElshof Zion Christian School, Byron Center 3rd place - Glory Oliva 1st place - Nicole DeYoung 2nd place - Joanna Verduin West Village Academy, Dearborn 3rd place - Cassidy Baker 1st place - Carlos Jennings 2nd place - David Riggins 3rd place - Grenique Jones Zion Lutheran School, Bay City 1st place - Jordyn Daly Western Middle School, Auburn 2nd place - Ben VanSumeren 1st place - Kristie Gray 3rd place - Calista Layle 36 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS and LOCAL WINNERS… Zion Lutheran School, Harbor Beach 1st place - Olivia Brandt 2nd place - Brooke Arntz 3rd place - Caitlin Brown

Zion Lutheran School, Auburn 1st place - Jacqueline Morand 2nd place - Rachel Diehl 3rd place - Katie Doud

Congratulations TO ALL THE LOCAL WINNERS. 37 PICTURES FROM LAST YEARS EVENT and WINNERS

38 PICTURES FROM LAST YEARS EVENT and WINNERS