Eight students receive honors in LMC Mayor for a Day Essay Contest

Essayists prioritized boosting local leadership, enhancing public spaces, and fostering community

Minnesota students from grades fourth, fifth, and sixth recently submitted their ideas for improving city services as part of the League of Minnesota Cities’ 12th annual Mayor for a Day Essay Contest. The League hosts this annual essay competition to raise awareness of city services that are part of our daily lives, and to inspire the next generation of city leaders.

Four winners and four honorable mention recipients were chosen for the 2024 competition which received a record 850 entries from across Minnesota.

Winners:

• Adelaide Areaux (5^th grade) – Minneapolis
• Avery Herrala (4^th grade) – Otsego
• Kate Goodrich (5^th grade) – Deephaven
• Winward Nicol (5^th grade) – Clear Lake

Honorable Mentions:

• Jalaya Pierce (5^th grade) – Coon Rapids
• Jaxon Blanks (4^th grade) – Mendota Heights
• Maci Rousseau (6^th grade) – International Falls
• Mirah Jeffery (5^th grade) – Roosevelt

Winning essays will be published in the March-April issue of Minnesota Cities magazine. In addition to publication, winners receive a plaque and a check for $100. Honorable mention students receive a certificate and recognition in the magazine.

The mayors of all winning and honorable mention students have been notified of the results, and cities are encouraged to provide local recognition for participating students.

The Mayor for a Day Essay contest posed the question:

Cities provide a variety of services and programs that make our lives better, including parks & rec, street maintenance, water and sewer, libraries, police, fire, and more!

 If you were mayor for a day, what would you do to make one of the services that your city provides even better?

 This year’s winning essayists focused on issues such as supporting local leaders, enhancing community care, promoting youth involvement, improving environmental practices, fostering a sense of unity, and improving public spaces.

The League of Minnesota Cities is a membership organization dedicated to helping cities throughout Minnesota build quality communities through effective advocacy, expert analysis, trusted guidance, and collective action. The League serves its more than 830 member cities through advocacy, education and training, policy development, risk management, and other services.