The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors announced on May 5 the winners of the America250 Essay Contest, recognizing three students from across the Valley for their essays about American pride, symbols, and dreams.
The contest aimed to engage local youth in reflecting on what it means to be American as part of Maricopa County’s America250 celebrations. Students from elementary, middle, and high schools submitted essays responding to prompts tailored to their grade levels.
In the 3rd-5th grade category, Liberty Sharpe (4th Grade) won with her essay titled “America is a Cookbook.” Lyric Sharpe (7th Grade) was named winner among middle schoolers for her piece “More Than Just a Piece of Fabric.” Veronica Rodriguez (11th Grade) took top honors among high school students with her essay “More Than a Dream.” The Sharpe sisters attend Desert Cove Elementary and Shea Middle School respectively, while Rodriguez attends Valley Vista High School in Surprise.
Supervisor Thomas Galvin said, “When Chair Brophy McGee tapped me to oversee the County’s America250 celebrations, I knew I wanted to engage the young people in our community. I was blown away by the submissions we received and touched to see just how much our kids love and admire our beautiful country.”
County staff reviewed hundreds of essays based on how well students answered their prompts, followed instructions, demonstrated grammar skills, and showed creativity. The Board honored all three winners at an informal meeting held on Monday morning. This event marked the start of Maricopa County’s planned activities for America250; additional events include a Patriotic Pets contest and lighting up county buildings in red, white, and blue this summer.
Academic achievement remains an ongoing focus in Maricopa County. In recent assessments for the 2022-23 school year AASA and ACT exams, more than half of students in grades 3 through 8 did not pass mathematics or English sections; specifically, 62.9% failed math while 57.2% failed English according to the Arizona Department of Education. For high schoolers during that period, failure rates were similar: 65% did not pass math and 57% did not pass English sections on ACT exams according to the Arizona Department of Education. More recently during the 2023-24 academic year assessments in Maricopa County schools saw improvements: approximately one-third passed mathematics sections—33.9% for high schoolers on ACTs and 36% for grades three through eight on AASA tests according to the Arizona Department of Education.
Looking ahead, county officials plan further engagement with youth through upcoming contests and public events as part of ongoing efforts tied into national commemorations.
