2024 Student Expression Contest Honorees
Gabrielle Evans
Growing up as an African American girl in predominantly white schools, I’ve often been judged or stereotyped on how I should act, look, and sound. The video encourages you, my peers, and everyone of all different backgrounds to find all kinds of ways to contribute to the progression of Racial Justice. It won’t be solved overnight, but there’s no better time to start than now. In life, solving one problem comes another. It’s how you solve it that matters. The first step is to challenge our unconscious biases. Until the world can see everyone as equal, people won’t get along. No matter our differences, we can extend our support to help fight the trials and tribulations of being different. The concern is not about being black, or white, or male, or female. Until we understand who you are and what you stand for, we won’t make progress.
Student: Gabrielle Evans
KNEA Sponsor: Jordan Palmer
School: Olathe South High School
Grade: 10
Mia Terrazas
Women who migrate illegally are far more vulnerable to unsafe conditions and are particularly at risk for sexual assault. Once in the United States, many immigrant families need two incomes to support themselves and their children. I was a daughter of a woman who only had one income. I lived through the immigration lifestyle, and poetry gave me a way to speak out about how bad this issue truly is. In this audio I speak about some of the issues of immigration that happens around world-wide. Listen to my voice, hear my tone, and understand my words. Don’t hate us for our skin color, asks us about what we’ve lived, maybe you’ll understand why we do the things we do.
Student: Mia Terrazas
KNEA Sponsor: Rebecca Burnfin
School: Garden City High School
Grade: 11
Adele Erickson
This piece, “Babydoll”, is a social justice piece surrounding the portrayal of young women in the media. It deals with the infantilization and over-sexualization that is pushed on to women through advertisements. This is depicted through a very promiscuous pose of a young woman kneeling on a bed in a girlish frivolous room; she is wearing a pink lacy garment that I hand stitched on. This garment opens up to reveal an array of advertisements with blatant over-sexualization of teenage girls. This is a social justice piece because in its entirety it calls attention to the harmful way young girls are represented in the media, it is meant to make people uncomfortable with the blatant exploitation depicted, thus changing the way people view depictions of young women.
Student: Adele Erickson
KNEA Sponsor: Todd Poteet
School: Lawrence High School
Grade: 11
Zarah Young
My drawing is about indigenous justice. I’m also indigenous and other heritages but I’ve always felt more connected with my indigenous family even tho I hid half of my life because of the fact that I was indigenous, but now that I have come to except myself for who I am and what I’m about I stand my ground against those who play me and think that they can control me or my family. I don’t see why white people keep on telling others to go back to their country, this was never their country to begin with, it was home to us natives, before Christopher Columbus decided to take over. When I was really young I’ve always hid my indigenous self because I was scared people weren’t going to like me as a person but now I don’t really care what they think because even tho this is America, it still rightfully belongs to us natives.
Student: Zarah Young
KNEA Sponsor: Rebecca Burnfin
School: Garden City High School
Grade: 11
Joey (Jolie) Nguyen
My piece portrays how despite your identities, you are seen and loved by a community around you. It may not be apparent on the outside of who a person is, but no matter what orientation, gender identity, race, or any struggles, you are still loved
Student: Joey (Jolie) Nguyen
KNEA Sponsor: Rebecca Burnfin
School: Garden City High School
Grade: 10
Reece Kraus
This picture shows some of the livestock in Kansas, the plants they eat and what they have to go through. The smokestack in the back represents us as a people and how we’re constantly hurting the planet whether we like it or not.
Student: Reece Kraus
KNEA Sponsor: Rebecca Burnfin
School: Garden City High School
Grade: 10
Athena Valdez
An image conveying the importance of self-acceptance. Resist the urge to dissect and criticize; instead, let the threads of self-love weave together the unique beauty of your entirety.
Student: Athena Valdez
KNEA Sponsor: Rebecca Burnfin
School: Garden City High School
Grade: 10
Angelina Garcia
This represents the importance of recognizing disability rights and healthcare access. By depicting a bright pathway with different kinds of injured and people who need health care. I dramatically drew a bright entrance to show anyone has open healthcare access and is to be treated good no matter what condition overall showing the importance of getting the good treatment you deserve.
Student: Angelina Garcia
KNEA Sponsor: Rebecca Burnfin
School: Garden City High School
Grade: 11
Sophie Riley
My entry pays homage to the talented black female musicians in history who helped shape their genre, whether they were noted for it or not. A few of the musicians I listed in my entry were not given the respect and honor they deserved for the art they created, so I hope my entry revives the justice they have rightfully earned.
Student: Sophie Riley
KNEA Sponsor: Sophie Riley
School: Shawnee Mission South High School
Grade: 12
Candy Flores
Statistics show us that approximately 1,500 American Indian and Alaska Native missing persons have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) throughout the U.S. and approximately 2,700 cases of Murder and Nonnegligent Homicide Offenses have been reported to the Federal Government's Uniform Crime Unit. This art piece is to inspire and educate the public about this horrific injustice to our indigenous population. We will not be silent.
Student: Candy Flores
KNEA Sponsor: Kindrah Miller
School: Goodland Junior Senior High School
Grade: 10