Two Atlanta Public Schools students named first place winners of the WNBA Atlanta Dream’s “What’s Your Dream” Essay Contest

Just days after the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday, two students from Atlanta Public Schools’ (APS) Booker T. Washington High School and the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Middle School were named first place winners (high school and middle school) of the Martin Luther King Jr. “What’s Your Dream” essay contest sponsored by the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

(From L-R) Dr. Beverly Holyfield, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Office of Career, Technical and Agricultural Education; Dr. Tasharah Wilson, principal Booker T. Washington High School; Iffiya Smith, senior, Booker T. Washington High School; Jennifer Culberson, coordinator of Marketing & Corporate Partnership, Atlanta Dream; Angela Fortsen, APS Office of High Schools; Janet Watkins, counselor, Booker T. Washington High School; Dr. Brené Bradley, APS Office of Career, Technical and Agricultural Education.                                                          Photo Credit: Atlanta Dream

Booker T. Washington High School Senior Iffiya Smith and Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Middle School eighth-grader Mackenzie Gresham were surprised at their schools Jan. 23 with a WNBA Atlanta Dream prize pack and a certificate from Jennifer Culberson, coordinator of Marketing and Corporate Partnership for the Atlanta Dream. Both students won the grand prize trip to Washington D.C. for themselves, a parent/guardian, and an additional guest. They will see the Dream’s June 12 game against the Washington Mystics, plus a visit the MLK Monument and other D.C. attractions.

(From L-R) Dr. Dione Simon, principal, Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy (CSKYWLA) Middle School; 1^st place essay contest winner Mackenzie Gresham, 8^th grade, CSKYWLA; and Jennifer Culberson, coordinator of Marketing & Corporate Partnership, Atlanta Dream.               Photo Credit: Atlanta Dream

The following APS students were named winners of the Atlanta Dream’s “What’s Your Dream” essay contest:

High School

1^st Place – Iffiya Smith/Booker T. Washington High School/12^th grade

2^nd Place – Jomo Henderson/D.M. Therrell High School/11^th grade

3^rd Place – Kayla Trawick/Fredrick Douglass High School/10^th grade

Middle School

1^st Place – Mackenzie Gresham/Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Middle School/8^th grade

2^nd Place – Tyrese Miller/Crawford Long Middle School/6^th grade

3^rd Place – Angel Crawford/Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Middle School/8^th grade

Both second-place contest winners will receive two tickets to the Atlanta Civil Rights Museum plus an Atlanta Dream prize pack. The two third-place winners will receive two passes to see the movie, “SELMA,” or a movie of their choice and an Atlanta Dream prize pack. All 93 students who submitted essay entries will receive a ticket to the WNBA Atlanta Dream home opener vs. the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, June 7, 3 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Dream will recognize the winners during the game.

The contest was held for 16 middle and high schools that participated in the Dream Experience during the district’s College and Career Motivation Week Nov. 17-21 – coordinated by the APS Office of Career, Technological and Agricultural Education and the Atlanta Dream. “I would like to thank each applicant for their entry and congratulate the winners on a job well done. Also, I would like to personally thank The Atlanta Dream organization for their continued support and commitment to the students of the Atlanta Public Schools system,” said Michael Maze, director, Atlanta Public Schools office of Career, Technological, and Agricultural Education.

About Atlanta Public Schools

Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 50,000 students across 106 learning sites. The district is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 87 schools, 17 charter schools and two citywide single-gender academies, where students are offered rigorous instructional programs that foster success in school and life. For more information, visit www.atlantapublicschools.us