SALEM, Ore. – Kassidy Poetzl, a 12th grader at Bridge Charter Academy in Cottage Grove, won the first-place prize for her video in the Oregon Mayors Association’s (OMA) “If I WereMayor…” civic awareness contest.

Each year, students statewide compete in three age groups using different media, describing what it would mean if they were the mayor of their city. Posters are designed by 4th and 5th grade students, 6th through 8th grade students write essays, and 9th through 12th grade students produce a short video.

The competition begins with a local contest conducted by mayors. The local first-place winners are entered in the state level competition in the spring, which is judged by members of the OMA Judging Committee. Twenty-six cities participated in this year’s contest at the local level, with 46 entries being forwarded to the state-level competition.

As a first-place winner, Kassidy will receive a check for $500. Other first-place prize winners in the state competition were:
Poster – Noah Gabriel D. Salazar, 5th grader at Timber Ridge School in Albany; and

Essay – Sophia Lu, 8th grader at Lake Oswego Junior High School.


Second-place winners in this year’s statewide contest, each receiving a check for $300 were:

Poster – Adriana Draskovic, 5th grader at Happy Valley Elementary School;

Essay – Saylor Sager, 6th grader at Duniway Middle School in McMinnville; and

Video – Jacella Williams, 11th grader at West Albany High School.

Third-place prize winners in the statewide contest, each receiving a check for $100 were:

Poster – Maria Cecilia Gonzalez Solano, 4th grader at Witch Hazel Elementary in Hillsboro;

Essay – Brooke Van Arsdall, 7th grader at St. Helens Middle School; and

Video - Evonna West, 11th grader at Ridgeview High School in Redmond.

Entries may be viewed on the OMA web page at www.oregonmayors.org/special-programs/page/student-contest.

About the Oregon Mayors Association

Founded in 1972, the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA) is a voluntary association of persons who hold the office of mayor. OMA is recognized as an affiliate organization in cooperation with the League of Oregon Cities. About seventy five percent of Oregon’s mayors are active members of OMA.