WASHINGTON – In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Friday that 15 elementary, middle, and high school students from across Connecticut were selected as winners of his third annual ‘Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay Challenge.’ This year, Murphy received over 1,000 essays submitted from students in Connecticut reflecting on Dr. King’s dream and their own aspirations. The winning essays and pictures can be viewed here. The winning essays are on display in Murphy’s Hartford office.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have turned 90 years old this week, and we remember him by celebrating the legacy he left behind,” said Murphy. “Dr. King made it possible to imagine an America where anything is possible and where no matter the color of your skin or who you love, everyone is treated equally, something we are still fighting for today. I’m so impressed by the thoughts these amazing students put into expressing their own hopes and dreams, and their optimism gives me so much hope for the future.”

1st Congressional District Winners:
· Jamieslee Rivera, Hartford, A.I. Prince Technical High School
· Caitlyn Hourigan, Southington, John F. Kennedy Middle School
· Cayden Harris, East Hartford, Robert J. O’Brien STEM Academy

2nd Congressional District Winners:
· Jaelynn Potter, New London, New London High School
· Mannat Kadian, East Lyme, East Lyme Middle School
· Olivia Diaz, Coventry, Coventry Grammar School

3rd Congressional District Winners:
· Lily DeJardins, Middletown, Vinal Technical High School
· Fatoumata Sow, New Haven, Wexler Grant School
· Kathryn Suarez, Hamden, Spring Glen School

4th Congressional District Winners:
· Natalie Ochoa, Norwalk, Brien McMahon High School
· Angelina Ennis-Mitchell, Bridgeport, John Winthrop Elementary School
· Bodhen Rajkarnikar, Trumbull, Frenchtown Elementary School

5th Congressional District Winners:
· Rebecca Wozniak, Meriden, O.H. Platt High School
· Ryan Caselli, West Simsbury, Henry James Memorial School
· Aliya Parker Viera, New Britain, Northend Elementary School