‘We the People’ Scottsdale Constitution Contest celebrates Sept. 17, 1797 signing
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega congratulated more than two dozen students for their winning entries for his annual ‘We the People’ contest at an in-person reception last week.
More than 110 parents, students, teachers and administrators attended. The contest commemorates the Sept. 17, 1797, signing of the United States Constitution.
“The We the People Constitution Contest promotes civic engagement, community reflection and understanding of the principles that guide our participation in our representative form of government,” Mayor Ortega said in a prepared statement. “We were especially impressed with this year’s creative entries from Scottsdale area students.”
Students could enter in three categories: 1) an art piece in any medium 2) an essay 3) an original song, video, or educational podcast. Submissions came from Cheyenne Traditional School, Cherokee and Kiva elementary schools, Desert Canyon and Mountainside middle schools, Chaparral, Coronado, Desert Mountain, and Saguaro high schools, and home-school students.
Winners were selected by a panel of judges headed up by the Scottsdale branch of the American Association of University Women who use a scoring rubric and the mayor.
Here are the winners in the various categories and grades:
ART CATEGORY:
First and second grades:
1st place: Caleb Mauer
2nd place: Maddy Parra
3rd place: Aya Alieha
Third – fifth grades:
1st place: Éva Malizia
Sixth-eighth grades:
1st place: Aislyn Sheard
2nd place: Nick Schroeder
3rd place: Saarah Chegri
High school:
1st place: Brian Stevenson
2nd place: Sylvia Strelish
ESSAY CATEGORY:
First and second grades:
1st place: Skanda Madappa
Sixth-eighth grades:
1st place: Bryn Smith
2nd place: Brady Smith
3rd place: Jude Larsen
High school:
1st place: Jesmina deGuzman
2nd place: Noah Bassett
3rd place: Ira Parsons
PODCAST, SONG, AND VIDEO CATEGORY:
Sixth-eighth grades:
1st place: Audrey Figura
2nd place: Christian Bliss
3rd place: Addison Ward and Addison Corsi
High school:
1st place: Betzy Oxlaj Castaneda, Kimberly Lopez and Linda Lopez
2nd place: Sienna Warner
3rd place: Jaythan Reyna, Joel Garcia Orozco and Jonathan Guevara