2026 Honorees
Student Expression Campaign
Student: Sabrena Munery
KNEA Sponsor: Levi Burnfin
School: Garden City High School, Garden City USD 457
Grade: 12
Sabrena Munery
This artwork of mine shows justice as something shared across the world, and yet it's not given to many. At the center a calm figure holds the rope, steadily as many hands pull from different directions, each of them from different places, reaching for the same thing. Justice. This rope, which can also be seen, represents justice under repetitive strain. Stretched by inequality, power, poverty, and even conflict.
The word Justice can be seen all around in many different languages to show that its meaning is also universal even if it's not practiced universally. Even though the words are the same, the weight it carries within each word does not. It is well-known that justice is spoken about everywhere behind cameras, but it's not held the same for everyone.
Student: Elim Haile
KNEA Sponsor: Alfredo Anaya
School: Garden City High School, Garden City USD 457
Grade: 9
Elim Haile
My entry empowers justice by showing that justice starts with our actions.
The hands holding the Earth represent people from different backgrounds working together and sharing responsibility. The scale shows that love must outweigh hate, and the stop sign sends a strong message that hate should not be accepted. The broken chains symbolize breaking free from injustice and discrimination. Finally, the family walking toward the sunrise represents hope, safety, and equal opportunity for everyone.Together, these symbols encourage people to choose fairness, kindness, and unity, which empowers justice in our world.
Student: Jayda Brown
KNEA Sponsor: Heather Fangmann
School: El Dorado High School, El Dorado USD 490
Grade: 10
Jayda Brown
My monologue details specific injustices I've faced as a young black woman growing up in a small town in Kansas. My goal while writing was to make the audience understand the weight that words have, and put in perspective how racism and bigotry have affected my upbringing.
Student: Beca Ibarra
KNEA Sponsor: Brandon Schwarz
School: Olathe South High School, Olathe USD 233
Grade: 12
Beca Ibarra
I never thought my uncle would have to hide on the car floor for every car ride. Nevertheless, it’s something I must become accustomed to. Fear of deportation consumes my family during every second of the day. The constant runs to the grocery store I get assigned for my undocumented family members.
The pure trepidation of my aunts and uncles never being able to hug their children again is legitimate. Political tension causes more pain than the media covers. The pain is local. Its neighbors, friends, coworkers, and my family. My silhouette reflects on my relatives' tears. Tears that show a chance of never being able to see them.
That is why I made “You Belong Here” to cover at least the peak of what the media doesn't cover. To remind the community that we all have the same beliefs, cars, music taste, and so much more.. Red, blue and white lights flash facilities run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Green, white, and red stripes show my heritage. I strive to make everyone feel proud of their roots. One's color of skin should never be seen as a curse. The reality of the system is depressing, yet through all of this I am proud to call myself a Latina.
Student: Joseph Perez
KNEA Sponsor: Levi Burnfin
School: Garden City High School, Garden City USD 457
Grade: 10
Joseph Perez
When I woke up, I looked at myself in the mirror and asked, why am I scared of what’s looking at me? Then, when I went outside with my grandma, she was pulled over because she looked suspicious. Was it her skin color?
So I decided to use my voice in the hope that maybe the higher-ups will hear me and spread my message to show how dangerous this world is to us non-white people. This speech is meant to demonstrate that no matter how hard you try to blend in, you’ll still get judged based on how you look.
If this gets shown to the people, it’ll make me smile at least showing that we need to stop hurting each other and hiding that we share the same red blood!
Student: Ruth Rojas
KNEA Sponsor: Levi Burnfin
School: Garden City High School, Garden City USD 457
Grade: 9
Ruth Rojas
Our race, color, culture, religion, our home country is all our background. Everyone has a background, but yet ours is worse? More unnatural to the point you refer to us as aliens and animals. However, we’re more human than you could ever be. You make fun of us and our background but yet you pretend to be apart of our culture. Our culture would never do the inhumane things you would do.
Student: Naomi Hess
KNEA Sponsor: Jennifer Zimmerli
School: Olathe Northwest High School, Olathe USD 233
Grade: 11
Naomi Hess
“Every Thread Has A Story” is a social justice piece that was created to shed light on the people behind our clothes. Garment workers are often mistreated, misrepresented, overlooked, and unnoticed. What if people looked past the outfit to see the person who stitched their clothes? Piece by piece, we can reimagine a world where the maker is valued and the shopper is intentional.
The woman adorned in flowers, and drawn in pencil was inspired by the Fashion Revolution campaign. It's a social justice movement documenting garment workers around the globe, who hold signs that say “I Made Your Clothes”. She represents all of the makers behind the clothes, whose lives and stories make up the very fabric of what we wear. She is thoughtfully placed underneath the heap of clothes that surrounds her. This symbolizes that beneath all the clothes we consume are real people who deserve dignity, respect, and their stories told.
I chose to draw the woman in pencil to depict the gravity of how much work is still needed to create fair treatment and dignified jobs for all. However, surrounding her with flowers emerges growth and beauty that becomes possible when we share their stories and advocate for their flourishing.
The background is made entirely of repurposed clothes to show the power of reusing fabrics for good. I randomly placed the tags, which are commonly found on the inside of clothes, describing where they are made throughout the piece. This further shows the connection between the places and the stories found in every garment. The words hand-stitched into this mixed media piece convey that her story is both literally and figuratively stitched into every garment she creates. The reality is: There is a maker behind every stitch, every cut, and every garment. That’s why … Her Story Matters!
Student: Mohamed Ahmed
KNEA Sponsor: Karla Gonzalez-Mercado
School: J.C.Harmon High School, KCK USD 500
Grade: 12
Mohamed Ahmed
My entry empowers justice by visually declaring that every person, regardless of skin tone, hair texture, or background, is equally human. Furthermore, by dividing the face into diverse segments and uniting them into one whole, I'm showing that differences should be embraced, not used to divide. Moreover, my bold message “EVERYONE is HUMAN” challenges people to confront bias and recognize shared humanity.