2023 AWARDS
Winners
2023 SPIRIT OF NEVADA AWARDS WINNERS
FOUR (4) high school student winners were chosen as the best entries on the year’s theme. Each winner will receive $1,000 and an iPad. The teacher of each winning student will receive a $500 Amazon Gift Card.
FOUR (4) middle school student winners were chosen as the best entries on the year’s theme. Each winner will receive $1,000 and an iPad. The teacher of each winning student will receive a $500 Amazon Gift Card.
FOUR (4) elementary school student winners were chosen as the best art entries on the year’s theme. Each winner will receive $1,000 and an iPad. The teacher of each winning student will receive a $500 Amazon Gift Card.
High School Winners
Park
Sumrall
The Heart of the Golden West
In the heart of the golden west,
Where beauty’s always in sight.
It stands eternally blessed,
A realm forever bright.
When you delve into its core,
This golden western chest.
Reveals a truth, galore,
That life’s a constant quest.
In the grace of Nevada’s hold,
In quaint towns that grace the land.
Communities whose hearts unfold,
Their steadfast, helping hand.
Seemingly small in size,
Yet strength resides within.
Unyielding spirits rise,
Where perseverance begins.
Growing up with lifelong peers,
From schoolyard days till we part.
Unified through joys and tears,
Till the very end we chart.
Living in Nevada’s sphere,
Unique chances it bestows.
Unity, strong and clear,
Where bigger cities doze.
Under stars that gleam so high,
In sunsets’ vivid hues.
A vision wide, reaching the sky,
Expanding the mind’s views.
Nevada’s beauty, sometimes concealed,
In the rain’s soft, pattering embrace.
Sagebrush scents, pine trees revealed,
A paradise in this place.
Travelers pass through, fast they go,
Through Ely’s small-town streets.
Quick judgments, they forego,
Missing its essence, fleet.
Residents in Ely’s keep,
Masters of exploration’s lore.
Their freedom, theirs to reap,
A life like none before.
The heart of the golden west,
Radiant, with pride’s embrace.
It stands amongst the best,
Guiding with unwavering grace.
Young
Lee
Middle School Winners
Jang
Chen
Chavez
Nevada, The Heart of the West
Amongst the rolling hills
Mountains raising high
The clouds gently rest on their peaks
Tired from long journeys they lie
Across the rugged mountains
Through the ocean of sage
The hills seem to call,
“Run up my steep slopes, no matter your age
“Let wind blow through your hair
Come be wild and free
For time has no end
And happiness I guarantee
“Make your cheeks become rosy
Over my rocks you shall bound
Climb up my trees
Come find daring life all around!”
The mountain opens
Its strong arms to all
It gives comfort of refuge
For anything big or small
So easily forgotten
Who traveled bare of sock
Ruthless winter storms
Then frostbite began to plot
Winter wind turned to summer breeze
Mud began to appear
To capture wagons in their steady grasp
In the wilderness of the great frontier
They never gave up hope
Even in the darkest hour
They persisted on
Though for food but bland flour
They led the path for us
They who traveled far and near
To find a land where there was peace
Traveling endlessly year after year
Now here in the heart of the west
Where once much tribulation
From the hands of our fathers
Kim
Elementary School Winners
Roseta
Martinez
Days after the horrific Route 91 mass shooting, a new team gave our city a beacon of light via support as Las Vegas picked up the pieces. The Golden Knights became part of the fabric here in Las Vegas. They acted with quickness, strength and compassion as they got right into the community that had newly embraced them. This piece shows the Healing Garden; a place that locals and visitors alike can show remembrance, pay respect, and celebrate those who were injured. It is of particular importance to our family, as my Grandma and Dad were attendees of the Route 91 festival in 2017. My Grandma was shot that evening, and thankfully survived the horror. The Healing Garden has become a staple and light in our life, as we can always recount all the ways our community was there for us in our time of need, much like the Golden Knights displayed I am proud to be Vegas born, and Vegas Strong.
Han
Rodriguez Armas