Nearly 670 Wayne County students entered into the MLK contest, this is who won

WOOSTER – Parkview Elementary student Cora Hugon sat in her fourth-grade class as if it was any other day when Principal Steve Furlong walked in and asked for her.

Like any student, Hugon thought she was in trouble. Her mind flashed back searching for any wrongdoings but came up with nothing.

"Then he said, 'Congratulations, you won first place in the MLK Essay Contest,' " Hugon said. "I was so excited to know I won. I'm pretty sure that was the quietest the class ever was."

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Hugon competed against fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders throughout Wayne County in the Wooster-Orrville NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest. In total, nearly 670 students submitted essays in grades one through 12.

Wayne County students were split into four grade divisions and given an essay prompt, said Mady Noble, treasurer for the NAACP.

Grades one through three wrote about Paula Young Shelton, who was present for the 1965 Selma March. Grades four through six, seven through nine and 10 through 12 wrote about the Freedom Riders.

Three winners were chosen from each division who were awarded a plaque and a cash prize, Noble said.

"We do this to promote history and provide educational community outreach," Noble said. "This year we wanted kids to reflect on John Lewis and the Freedom Riders."

Learning about the Freedom Riders

While Hugon knew about King and the broad strokes of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, she never heard of the 1961 Freedom Riders.

To better understand the topic, she dove into books and articles that discussed that moment in the civil rights movement.

"I spent around three to four hours writing," Hugon said.

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Her parents said that she spent much longer studying the subject and preparing to write the essay.

"She spent hours reading, highlighting and writing outlines for her essay," said Jen Hugon, her mother.

She learned that the U.S. Supreme Court banned segregated bus seating in its 1946 case Morgan v. Virginia, but despite the ban, bus segregation continued. Civil rights activists who battled a segregated South tested the Supreme Court decision by riding on buses.

In Alabama, the riders were met with violence when an angry white mob attempted to halt the buses at a terminal. Peace was restored when the Kennedy administration sent in the Federal Marshals and National Guard.

After months of continued protests, the Interstate Commerce Commission began enforcing the U.S. Supreme Court decision following pressure from the White House.

"It definitely made me interested in the civil rights movement," Cora Hugon said.

While her parents are proud that she won first place, they are more proud that she volunteered to learn more and participate in the contest.

"I'm super proud of her because she took the initiative and had the passion," said Paul Hugon, her father.

Orrville High School boasts three winners in two divisions

Of the nearly 670 entries, three winners came from Orrville High School. The most winners of any school.

Eleventh-grader Anzony Martinez-Santos came in second while ninth-graders Ella Wallace and Aiiiya Tuggle won third and first places respectively in their divisions.

Some students participated in the contest as part of a class, like Martinez-Santos and Wallace, while others volunteered, like Tuggle.

With the Freedom Riders prompt in mind, Tuggle wrote the first half of her essay from her family's perspective.

"I felt like I had a good story because it engaged with my family," Tuggle said.

After discussing her family's story, she dove into the history and impact the Freedom Riders had on U.S. history.

"I felt good about winning, it means a lot," Tuggle said.

Here is who won

Grades 1 - 3: Kanishka Gunikuntla of Melrose Elementary, Jackson Holmes of Melrose Elementary and Cecilia Hostetler of Cornerstone Elementary School.

Grades 4 - 6: Cora Hugon of Parkview Elementary, Max Seifried St. Mary's School and Isabella Gajda of St. Mary's School.

Grades 7 – 9: Aiiiya Tuggle of Orrville High School, Reka Regan of Edgewood Middle School and Ella Wallace of Orrville High School.

Grades 10 – 12: Anna Hovest of Rittman High School, Anzony Martinez-Santos of Orrville High School and Heather Pea of Wooster High School.

The 12 contest winners also will be featured on the Wooster-Orrville NAACP Unit 3208 Facebook page in a video that honors Martin Luther King Jr.

The video also will feature national and local speakers and music by Darion Stanford.

Reach Bryce by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com

On Twitter: @Bryce_Buyakie

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: NAACP names 12 winners of MLK Essay Contest