Ten students named as winners of Iowa America 250 contest

The Iowa Department of Education today announced ten winners for the Iowa America 250 Student Contest, which challenged students in grades 3-12 to reflect on what America and the American founding means to them. Over 180 students from across the state submitted an essay, poem or video for the contest.

View more photos from the recognition ceremony in our Flickr album.

By the contest’s designated grade band levels, the winners of the Iowa America 250 Student Contest are:

Grades 3-5

• Annora Roberts, Meskwaki Settlement School, 4th grade, essay/poem
• Mary Elouise Bowman, Waukee Community School District, 4th grade, essay/poem
• Manvi Tiwari, Waukee Community School District, 3rd grade, video
• Henry Hammes, Van Meter Community School District, 3rd grade, essay/poem

Grades 6-8

• Madhav Ganesh Kumar, Johnston Community School District, 8th grade, essay/poem
• Jason Dong, Iowa City Community School District, 8th grade, essay/poem
• Piper Stauffer, Homeschool student in the North Butler School District, 8th grade, essay/poem

Grades 9-12

• Abu Saddiq, Fort Madison Community School District, 12th grade, video
• Liza Mendelev, Ames Community School District, 11th grade, essay/poem
• Georgia Clark, West Liberty Community School District, 9th grade, essay/poem

Submissions for the Iowa America 250 Student Contest were judged by an expert panel of Department team members and external partners, who have extensive experience in art, history, media and Iowa communities. All essays, poems and videos were judged for creativity and how well they applied one of four prompts that are intertwined with America’s rich history: creativity and innovation, people, places and events or America’s Founding Principles.

The ten student winners were honored by Governor Kim Reynolds and Director McKenzie Snow during a recognition ceremony at the State Capitol. Winning submissions are posted on the Department’s America 250 Student Contest webpage and will be displayed at the upcoming 2026 Iowa State Fair.

As a part of the overall Iowa America 250 initiative, the Iowa America 250 Student Contest helps celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. In 2025, Gov. Reynolds signed an executive order establishing the Governor’s Task Force Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday. The Department is one of 17 members on this public-private partnership committee.

For more information on the Department-sponsored Iowa America 250 events, visit our America 250 webpage.