What can a family recipe, a neighborhood restaurant, a local tradition, or a familiar place tell us about the communities we call home?
For nearly 400 students from across the United States who participated in the Raíces National Essay Contest, the answer was a collection of stories that might otherwise have gone unheard—stories now being preserved, shared, and carried forward as part of our broader history.
Students submitted essays in English, Spanish, or both, exploring the living presence and contributions of Hispanic communities across the country. Through stories rooted in their families, neighborhoods, and communities, students helped make visible histories, traditions, and connections that can too often be overlooked.
On October 3, 2026, 15 finalists came together in Washington, D.C., to celebrate those stories—and to recognize the first national winner of Raíces.
Meet the Raíces National Essay Contest Winner
Kelsey McIntyre, a student at The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Pennsylvania, was named the winner for her essay, “Masa y Memoria: How Casey’s Empanadas Feed More Than Hunger.”
Hear From Kelsey
Hear Kelsey share more about the inspiration behind her essay and what participating in Raíces meant to her.
Her story is also a powerful example of the idea at the heart of Raíces: Hispanic heritage is not something confined to history books. It is alive in the people, places, traditions, and everyday experiences found throughout communities across the United States.
As the contest winner, Kelsey and her teacher, Sophia Betancourt, will each bring a companion on an all-expenses-paid trip to Spain in summer 2027.
Celebrating 15 Outstanding Finalists
Kelsey was one of 15 finalists selected from nearly 400 submissions nationwide.
The finalists represented schools and communities across the country, each approaching the theme of Hispanic heritage through a different lens.
The 15 finalists were:
- Kelsey McIntyre — The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, Pennsylvania
- Mary Boakye-Yiadom — Westford Academy, Massachusetts
- Alondra Villalobos Sanchez — Harry D. Jacobs High School, Illinois
- Ana Monteiro — Kent Place School, New Jersey
- Maria Vallejo Aquino — East Forsyth High School, Georgia
- Ziqi Yang — The Calverton School, Maryland
- Julissa Perez Baeza — Xavier College Preparatory, Arizona
- Audrée Alexis Nieves Corrales — Centennial Academy Charter School, Georgia
- Manuel Torres Mendez — Port Richmond High School, New York
- Oula Ghani — Gateway High School, Pennsylvania
- Isabella Urgilez — Kent Place School, New Jersey
- Renata Kindle — North Rockland High School, New York
- Gabriel Ardila — Jackson-Reed High School, Washington, D.C.
- Emma Onyenwere — Mansfield Lake Ridge High School, Texas
- Mia Boan — Cooper City High School, Florida
Each of the finalists’ essays will be included in Guillermo Fesser’s upcoming publication, Hispanic Roots of the USA.
Making History Visible Through Student Voices
For educators and students, the stories submitted through Raíces offer another reminder of what can happen when students are encouraged to look closely at the world around them. History, culture, and language become more meaningful when students can connect them to real people, places, traditions, and experiences. When they themselves can become the historian, the author, the narrator.
Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Raíces also highlighted the crucial economic and military support that Hispanic communities from Spain and the Americas provided to General Washington during the Revolutionary War—contributions that rarely appear in traditional narratives.
Learn more about the contest, those behind Raíces and the contest prizes here.
By Sierra Combelic
