Westfield Student Recipients Of MLK Award Recognized

WESTFIELD, NJ — Twenty elementary and intermediate school students in the Westfield Public Schools received recognition for their submissions in an annual essay, poetry, and art contest sponsored by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Westfield.

The students - whose creative works addressed the organization’s 2025 theme of “Building Bridges to the Beloved Community” - were welcomed at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association’s 38th Annual Interfaith Service on January 20 at Saint Helen Roman Catholic Church.

The student award recipients are as follows:

Intermediate Schools

ESSAYS

• 1st Place: Allison Reilly, 6th Grade, Edison
• 2nd Place: Ethan Chang, 7th Grade, Edison
• 3rd Place: Ella Wint, 7th Grade, Edison
• Honorable Mention: Piper Yuen, 7th Grade, Edison

POETRY

• 1st Place: Norah Thokkadam, 6th Grade, Roosevelt
• 2nd Place: Kiran duPlessis, 8th Grade, Edison
• 3rd Place: Emma Materdomini, 6th Grade, Roosevelt

ART

• 1st Place: Emma Dushak, 6th Grade, Edison
• 2nd Place: Ryka Shenoy, 6th Grade, Edison
• 3rd Place: Vera Grez, 8th Grade, Roosevelt

Elementary Schools

ESSAYS

• 1st Place: Nia Mehendiratta, 4th Grade, Tamaques
• 2nd Place: Arjun Verma, 5th Grade, Jefferson
• 3rd Place: Taylor Walker, 4th Grade, Franklin
• Honorable Mention: Isla Dudley, 1st Grade, Wilson

POETRY

• 1st Place: Nolan Yuxan Wang, 5th Grade, McKinley
• 2nd Place: Shivani Swamy, 5th Grade, Jefferson
• 3rd Place: Ryan Lele, 4th Grade, Jefferson

ART

• 1st Place: Talia Purdo, 3rd Grade, Franklin
• 2nd Place: Eloise Macaltao, 5th Grade, McKinley
• 3rd Place: Asmira Sunkara, 5th Grade, Franklin

— Westfield Public Schools