Merrillville High School senior Isaiah Vorice took first place in the high school category of the 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest, winning $500.
In addition, Pierce Middle School students won all three places in the contest's middle school category: first place, $300, eighth-grader Ta'Lisa McDowell; second place, $100, seventh-grader Jalaya Teamer; third place, $50, eighth-grader Nariah Williams.
The contest, sponsored by the Northwest Indiana Ecumenical Committee, required entrants to write their essays based on this MLK quote “Give us the ballot, and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights.”
The winners accepted their awards at the New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Gary on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.