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Columbus and Bartholomew County’s Bicentennial logo.
Local students and adults are being recognized for their dreams of what Bartholomew County can be.
The Columbus Area Bicentennial Committee announced winners and runner-ups for its “Bartholomew County: Your Vision Our Future” essay contest. The winners are as follows:
Elementary (K-6) — 1st place, Valeria Cortes (fifth grade, Southside); 2nd place, Mugdha Jugati (fifth grade, CSA Fodrea).
Secondary (7th-12th grade) — 1st place, Samantha Sparks (seventh grade, Central Middle School); 2nd place, Lillie Wells (11th grade, Columbus North).
Adult (18 and older) — 1st place, An Cao (Columbus); 2nd place, Martha Bayless (Hope).
According to organizers, first place winners in each category will receive $400. They will also be invited to participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the 1821 Trail extension, and their names will be put on commemorative bricks along the trail. Second place winners in each category will receive $100.
All essay submissions will be archived and used by both the bicentennial committee and the Bartholomew County Historical Society.
Every first-place winner had a slightly different focus in their essay, though each expressed hope for the future of Columbus.
The winner of the adult division envisioned a future where residents appreciate the outdoors, take care of animals and make use of modern technology.
“I strongly believe that when people live in harmony with nature, they are physically strong; when they live in harmony with animals, they are mentally and emotionally healthy; when they live in harmony with technology, their life is convenient, effective and efficient,” Cao wrote. “Happy and loving people will make a better community and a nice community will attract more talents!”
Samantha also had a positive outlook on the future, forecasting artistic and cultural improvements, new development, and tolerance of different people groups.
“At the end of the day, I believe that the future of Columbus holds great things,” she wrote. “Whether it be art or architecture, the city or the community, Columbus Indiana has many many amazing things that will continue to grow and flourish.”
Valeria wrote that she loves Columbus’ diversity and how the city provided her parents opportunities that were not available in their home country. She also mentioned J. Irwin Miller’s contributions to Columbus and its diversity.
“I think that we who love this city, are responsible to preserve the vision that Irwin had one day and make it even better every day,” she said. “The vision that I have for our future in Columbus is to continuously have a city that keeps adapting to the changes of the world, a community that welcomes people like my family that left everything behind to find new opportunities, events where we can have exposure to other cultures to understand and respect them, activities where we can develop and prepare ourselves to help this world become a better place.”
