Hamden Student Winner Of Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Challenge

HAMDEN, CT — Kathryn Suarez of Spring Glen Elementary School in Hamden was among the 15 elementary, middle, and high school students from across Connecticut selected as winners of U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy’s third annual ‘Martin Luther King Jr. Day Essay Challenge.’ This year, Murphy (D-Conn.) received more than 1,000 essays submitted from students in Connecticut reflecting on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream and their own aspirations. The winning essays are on display in Murphy’s Hartford office.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have turned 90 years old this week, and we remember him by celebrating the legacy he left behind,” Murphy said. “Dr. King made it possible to imagine an America where anything is possible and where no matter the color of your skin or who you love, everyone is treated equally, something we are still fighting for today. I’m so impressed by the thoughts these amazing students put into expressing their own hopes and dreams, and their optimism gives me so much hope for the future.”

Read Suarez’s essay below:

I know that Dr. King's dream was to make segregation illegal. He believed that everyone should have equal rights no matter what you look like. He did all of this for us; even though he knew it was dangerous and people who did not agree with his ideas were trying to kill him. Dr. King is important to me because my parents would not have been allowed to get married, and I would not be alive if he didn't have his dream.

I try to be like Dr. King by standing up for my brother and others like him that have learning or health problems. Someday, I hope to be a teacher or a doctor and help people achieve their dreams. First, I will need to get an education to do these jobs, so I want to go to an Ivy League College. Dr. King's work makes all my dreams possible. That is why I am grateful for Dr. King.

Image via Shutterstock