The City of Ashland is thrilled to unveil the winners of the Oregon Mayors Association's annual "If I were Mayor…" student competition.
 
Each year the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA) hosts the, “If I were Mayor…” student contest. The contest takes place on a local and state level and is an opportunity for 4th through 12th grade students to learn more about civic engagement and use their voice in local government.
 
The competition spans three categories:

• Elementary School (grade 4-5) - Poster Contest (Photo of poster can be PNG, JPEG, or PDF files)
• Middle School (grade 6-8) - Essay Contest (Word, PDF, PowerPoint or online essay format)
• High School (grades 9-12) - Digital Media Presentations (Videos only, MP4 or online video format)*

The recipients of the 2024 awards are local students Ember Richards and Avalon Gerk. Richards is a 4th grader at TRAILS Outdoor School, and Gerk is an 8th grader at Willow Wind School.
 
Mayor Tonya Graham and the City Council proudly bestowed the awards upon the winners during the April 16, 2024, City Council Business Meeting. More information about the contest at ashland.or.us/OMAcontest.

View Richards' poster (PDF).
View Gerk's essay (PDF). 
 
These local victors have now advanced to the state level, competing for the chance to secure both cash prizes and statewide recognition. First-place honorees at the state level will be treated to a special invitation to the OMA 2024 Summer Conference luncheon at the scenic Running Y Ranch in Klamath Falls, where they will receive their well-deserved accolades.

“We are better together!” *There was not a submission in the high school category 

Released April 26, 2024