The Gainesville City Council honored at their meeting Tuesday evening the three sixth-grade winners of their inaugural essay contest celebrating Georgia Cities Week.
The winners of the contest are as follows:
- John Grimsley of Lakeview Academy - First place
- Felipe Martinez of Gainesville Middle School - West Campus - Second place
- Aashne Patel of Gainesville Middle School East - Third place.
“These young people gave very thoughtful ideas on if they were Mayor for the day. While we may not be able to implement everything that they want, or what they say, I would say that everything that they suggested was worthwhile,” Mayor Sam Couvillon said.
The essay contest was open to all sixth-grade students who attend school or homeschool in the City of Gainesville. Students were asked to answer the prompt “If I were Mayor, I would…” in one page or less.
Grimsley read out loud his essay and received his prize from Couvillon at the meeting. He wrote his essay about having more wheelchair accessibility in the city, including sports for children with disabilities.
“I'm in a wheelchair and I want everybody with disabilities, like all ranges of disabilities, to be able to experience all the sports and things that they can't usually,” Grimsley said.
Grimsley won a City of Gainesville T-shirt, a certificate of achievement and one $50 voucher to Atlas Pizza. Martinez and Patel also took home certificates signed by Couvillon.
Click here to read all three essays.
