2012 Winners
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Student Poetry Contest
Elementary: First Place
“The Mighty Times of Being Nine”
Matt Steinmetz
4th Grade, St. Francis of Assisi
Though I was the smallest player on my fourth grade football team,
and the shortest player on my travelling basketball team…
I am mighty.
On the playground, I noticed a friend was sad –
their face was lonely and their eyes looked at the ground.
I asked, “Are you ok?” He said, “No.”
So, I asked him if he wanted to play catch with me.
I changed his day.
I am mighty.
At a school event, our classroom was not winning the competition.
I looked down and saw a friend upset – he was huffing and puffing.
He was frustrated that we were losing.
I tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry about it; it is just a game for fun.”
I changed his attitude.
I am mighty.
This season, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play on a traveling basketball team,
but after a few practices, I was confident that I wanted to continue.
One day after practice, I walked up to my coach and told him,
“I am glad I decided to play basketball.”
Coach gave me a high five and told my parents that I warmed his heart.
I showed appreciation.
I am mighty.
In our house, we have a special jar called the Christmas Jar.
When I have spare coins I put them in this jar. Near Christmas, we give the jar to charity.
Last week, I donated one dollar to the jar.
I will change someone’s life.
I am mighty.
These are the mighty times of being nine years old.
I am the change for others.
I am mighty.
Elementary: Second Place
“Become the Change”
Adam Khan
5th Grade, Sunset Terrace Elementary
Be the change
You can help
Stand up for others
Change the world
All you need to do
Is find your voice
No one’s better
Than anyone else
As little as
Bullying others
To big things like
Slavery and discrimination
Anything at all
Helps the world
Hopefully it might be
A perfect world
Now that you’ve
Done all this
You have done it
And became the change
Elementary: Third Place
“Be the Change and Make the World a Better Place”
Isaac Cheruiyot
5th Grade, Sunset Terrace Elementary
When you see through the eyes of a slave
And have felt all their pain
You know we have to stop this
We should be the change
When you see through the eyes of the poor
Such as the beggars on the streets
You think how could this be fair
We should be the change
When you see through the eyes of an animal
Whose habitat is full of pollution
You wonder why we do this
We should be the change
When you see through the eyes of a victim
Who’s been bullied all his life
You question how you treat others
You want to be the change
Let’s gather our friends to fight pollution
Help comfort the victims and the enslaved
Feed, dress, and house the poor
You can be the change!
Middle School: First Place
“I Can Be the Change”
Harmanpreet Kaur
6th Grade, Friedell Middle School
Why? Why are you just standing there?
Why aren’t you preventing this?
Why aren’t you here to help?
You can make this stop! You!
And what are you doing?
Turning your back on it along with everyone else.
Pretending that nothing bad is happening at all.
But wait.
I am doing the same thing.
I can’t ask you to help when I am not helping either.
I can. You can. WE can make a difference.
But someone has to stand up first.
I can’t just talk the talk;
I have to walk the walk.
There have been many inspiring stories throughout time.
There were a lot of obstacles, a lot of injustices.
But one person, Dr. King, decided that one problem had gone way too far
And took a stand against racial discrimination.
He made a difference,
And changed the world for the better.
Although the world is better today,
There are still many things that need to be changed.
There are problems in our everyday lives,
But we may not clearly see them.
Poverty, inequality, ignorance, discrimination, and bullying.
This list of injustices could go on and on.
But like Dr. King, I can face a problem head on.
In order to help,
I must be willing to sacrifice some things.
I am willing to be the odd one out.
I am willing to suffer like the ones being hurt
To show the world the problem at hand.
To show that this is not ok,
And that this is not over.
I can lend a helping hand.
I can speak up for my classmates that are being bullied.
I can help raise money for those who are being left behind.
I can put up flyers and bring awareness of the injustices in the world.
I can be the voice for the ones who are being ignored.
I can be the change.
And together, we can make a difference.
Middle School: Second Place
“I AM”
Skylar Drefcinski
8th Grade, St. Francis of Assisi
I am the invisible who watches all.
Never have I stood up for the things I saw.
Quietly my presence goes unseen,
For if I said something, they would be mean.
I am the bully, power hungry and all alone.
No one cares so I’m on my own.
Wanting revenge I bring others down,
But honestly I hate to see them frown.
I am the victim, who cries silently at night,
But I lie and say that I’m all right.
Violent, painful words, and long, lonely days,
But they don’t care – to my amaze.
But it’s their choice, their loss,
I’ll get revenge when I’m their boss.
I am God, awesome, loving, and kind.
With the saints I rule the skies.
I am Who I Am.
I’m the shepherd, you are the lamb.
My people are lost, confused, and upset,
And this I cannot forget.
So go, make a change for good.
Do what God says you should.
Do not be afraid to stand out,
For yourself you must not doubt.
If you stand up for what is right,
Others won’t be afraid to fight.
So become the change,
No matter how strange.
One action could change the world.
Middle School: Third Place
“A Single Wish”
Rachel Guyer
8th Grade, St. Francis of Assisi
There comes a time for you to say,
“I will change the world today.”
It all starts with a single wish,
For a better world that can’t be missed.
By standing up and having a voice,
You can make an impact for girls and boys.
From giving money to families in need,
To donation food to families to feed.
You can become the change you want to see,
By becoming the person you want to be.
High School: First Place
“The Difference”
Bhavya Avula
9th Grade, Century High School
I am the change.
No, not I will be the change or I can be the change.
I am the change.
I believe in myself and in others to change and change the world I live in.
I live in an era when no one cares about our planet.
I live in an era when people are apathetic and lethargic.
How can I change the world? I’ll change my country first.
How can I change a country? I’ll change my city first.
How can I change a city? I’ll change my family first.
How can I change a family?
But first, I can only change myself.
And perhaps by changing myself, I may influence my family.
By changing my family, my family and I could influence a city.
By changing a city, I could influence a country.
By changing a country, I could and can influence the world.
No more hunger.
No more pain.
Children saved.
Animals nurtured.
Mothers helped.
Poverty avoided.
Terrorism finished.
War stopped.
Hate suppressed.
And peace, finally, can be ours.
High School: Second Place
“Become the Change”
Hannah Conroy
10th Grade, Hayfield High School
You watch a boy get teased though you know it isn't fair
But you let it happen as if you don't care
You tell yourself that it's not your fight
You say the boy is tough, he'll be alright
You see a girl get tripped but you walk on past
You wince and hope her pain doesn't last
You tell yourself that in minutes she'll forget it all
As if it didn't hurt her pride, it was only a fall
You listen to a classmate talk bad about your friend
Yet you smile and nod when you should defend
You tell yourself that she'll never know
You know how hurt she would be if she did though
It's time to stop following , learn to lead
Help someone out, do a good deed
Stop letting people get hurt
Treat people like friends not dirt
Become the change, it starts with you
Think about your words and what you do
You may think you are just one in a world of many
But here and now, that counts plenty
High School: Third Place
“A Commitment By One”
Ishtpreet Singh
12th Grade, Century High School
Every single day, I wake up and think;
I think of the possibilities—the ways to change how we live.
I doubt that the current rhythm we use
is sufficient enough to make a difference—to help others, and to give.
They all asked the same question:
ask what we can do for others instead of others for us.
Whether it was MLK or JFK,
all the great ones preached such a message. And thus, —
we must work—I must work
to make the world a better place.
It all needs to change: the greed, the crime.
And it all must go: the cheating, the lies.
Although it will not be easy, I have nothing to lose.
My friends and family supporting me in going forward—
going forward to roll the dice
and going forward to confront those materialistic fools.
I am ready to give it my all—
to put all my effort into beginning the revolution.
For the only way to help clean the world
is to bring everyone together and fight out against.
They call it a revolution because one simple act can change the world.
That one simple act does not have to be big.
That one simple act does not randomly begin.
That one simple act begins with a commitment by one.
It begins with a commitment from me.
