Big congratulations from our entire district to Breakthrough Magnet School North 3rd grade student, Romesh Mahesh Kumar who earned a top prize in CT Senator Chris Murphy’s Martin Luther King Jr 2026 Essay Contest!
Marking the 10-year anniversary of his ‘Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Challenge,' U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on March 9 the 15 winners of the contest. This year, Murphy received more than 1,000 entries from elementary, middle, and high school students from across Connecticut reflecting on how they can live Dr. King’s legacy in their own communities.
You can read Romesh's essay below.
Romesh Mahesh Kumar, Breakthrough II Magnet School, Hartford 3rd Grade
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a hero. Not the kind having superpowers with a cape, but the kind who changed the world with kindness, love and big dreams. When I think about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I think about my classroom. We have kids from different places. We all sit together at lunch, play games together and help each other. He showed that even one person – even a kid like me – can make things better. I can be the kid who includes everyone at recess. I can be the one who speaks up when something is wrong. The coolest thing I learned is that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never used violence even when people were mean to him. Instead, he marched in the streets with signs, gave speeches and sang songs. I want to keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream alive. I am only 8 years old, but I can be kind to everyone, even if they look different or talk different than me. Stand up for kids who are being bullied or left out. Use my words and not my anger. Learn about people who are different from me so I can understand them better. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” I will be a light just as Dr. King wanted to be.
“Dr. King’s legacy transcends the actions of one man. Through his courage and commitment, Dr. King spurred a movement and inspired Americans to make a difference in their own communities. On the 10th anniversary of this contest, I am so moved by these essays from students across Connecticut pushing Dr. King’s work forward. This is a scary moment for our country, but these young authors remind us we all have the power to make a difference,” said Murphy, U.S. Senator for the State of Connecticut.
HPS thanks Senator Murphy for this opportunity. Here are all the essay winners:
1st Congressional District Winners:
Romesh Mahesh Kumar, Breakthrough II Magnet School, Hartford
Maya Szewczyk, Martin Kellogg Middle School, Newington
Jean Zendel Yema, Bristol Eastern High School, Bristol
2nd Congressional District Winners:
Miriam Murphy, Mile Creek School, Old Lyme
Noah M. Chieffo, Mansfield Middle School, Mansfield
Jeremi Helwig, Tourtellotte Memorial High School, Thompson
3rd Congressional District Winners:
Ichika Nagata, Francis Walsh Intermediate School, Branford
Shambhavi Bawankar, West Shore Middle School, Milford
Charlotte Jensen, Hopkins School, New Haven
4th Congressional District Winners:
Watson Campana, Stratfield Elementary, Fairfield
Alina Bhanderi, Middlebrook School, Wilton
Matteo Urso, Norwalk High School, Norwalk
5th Congressional District Winners:
Kattaleya Mitchell, Vance Village Elementary School, New Britain
Farrah Evelyn Lamoureux, Rochambeau Middle School, Southbury
Tavares Anderson, Crosby High School, Waterbury