FEATURE
First-place winner Kayson Hawkins with Scott Dudley.
Third-place winner Angelina Chen with FLM President-Elect and City of Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam.
Second-place winner Emily Fuentes with, from left, Longwood Commissioner Brian D. Sackett, Deputy Mayor Tony Boni, Commissioner Abby Shoemaker, Commissioner Matt McMillan and Mayor Matt Morgan.
CIVICS EDUCATION
Winners for ‘If I Were Mayor’ Contest Announced
Essay contest encourages civic engagement among middle school students by Scott Dudley Florida League of Cities and Florida League of Mayors
T
hree middle school students were recently recognized for their winning submissions in the “If I Were Elected Mayor” statewide essay contest. The contest is sponsored by the Florida League of Cities (FLC) and Florida League of Mayors (FLM) to foster civic engagement and community pride among sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students. Civics education is taught in Florida public schools as a vital tool to encourage public participation. Students participating in the contest were required to submit a single-page essay of no more than 250 words that began with the statement “If I were elected Mayor ...” and described how they would make a difference in their city if they were elected Mayor. The students were also asked to include information on how Home Rule helps make their
56 QUALITY CITIES | THIRD QUARTER 2022
municipality a great place to live. More than 1,200 submissions were received. Each student who submitted an essay received a certificate of participation, and the winners received gift cards and a joint resolution from FLC and FLM. The 2022 contest winners are: ▸ First place: Kayson Hawkins, sixth grade, Vernon Middle School, Vernon ▸ Second place: Emily Fuentes, seventh grade, Rock Lake Middle School, Longwood ▸ Third place: Angelina Chen, sixth grade, Pioneer Middle School, Cooper City. The first-place presentation for Kayson took place at the City of Vernon’s City Council meeting and the Washington
County Board of County Commissioners
meeting. The second-place presentation for Emily took place at the City of Longwood’s City Commission meeting. The third-place presentation for Angelina took place at the City of Cooper City’s Commission meeting. The League and the FLM plan to hold this contest again during the next school year. Look for more information to be available this September. Scott Dudley is the Director of Field Advocacy and Federal Affairs at the Florida League of Cities, and he serves as Executive Director of the Florida League of Mayors. QC
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS (FROM LEFT), LINDA BRIDGES AND MAYOR WAYNE MESSAM
QC
