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Virginia Municipal League announces winners of 2026 "If I Were Mayor" state essay contest
View/Download a PDF of this press release here >.
The Virginia Municipal League (VML) announced today the statewide winner and seven regional winners of the league’s “If I Were Mayor” Essay Contest for 7th and 8th graders. As in years past, the students were asked to write a short essay in which they identified an issue in their locality, talked to others about possible solutions, and then presented the solution that they believe will best address the issue.
The 2026 winners are:
- Statewide winner: Serene Colden of Lindsay Middle School in the City of Hampton
- Region 1: Kenzley Frye of Northwood Middle School in the Town of Saltville
- Region 2: Hailey Coleman of Martinsville Middle School in the City of Martinsville
- Region 3: Kinley Carter of Lylburn Downing Middle School in the City of Lexington
- Region 4: Elijah Zug of Appomattox Middle School in the Town of Appomattox
- Region 5: Willa Thom of Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in the City of Falls Church
- Region 7: Alexis Hargrove of Edward W. Wyatt Middle School in the City of Emporia
- Region 8: Finley O'Shell of Isle of Wight Academy in the Town of Windsor
*VML did not receive entries from Region 6 this year.
Read the winning essays here >
The Virginia Municipal League (VML) invites all eligible* Virginia 7th and 8th Graders to join its “If I were Mayor” essay contest.
Regional winners selected from around the state will each receive a $150 gift card and a plaque. One statewide winner chosen from the regional winners will receive a $250 gift card and a plaque. The runner-up from the region that receives the statewide award will become that region’s winner.
Winning essays will be featured in the May issue of VML’s magazine Virginia Town & City.
Read winning entries from prior years here >.
*See first item under “Rules & Regulations” below for eligibility requirements.
2026 Essay Contest
Being a mayor or community leader is a challenging but rewarding job. It’s challenging because you must balance the needs and requests of different people in your community who don’t always agree with each other. It’s rewarding because, along with your city or town council or county board, you get to be one of the people who ensures that the best solutions are used to address the problems that affect everyone.
VML wants to give you a chance to show what you would do to solve a problem in your community.
Here’s how it works:
What’s the problem? If you were a community leader like a mayor, what’s a problem in your locality you would want to solve? If could be something big that affects the whole community or something small that affects only a few people. If you are having trouble thinking of something, ask an adult (teacher, parent, guardian, relative, friend) for ideas.
What’s a solution? Ask a community member (teacher, parent, relative, classmate, friend, etc.) about the problem and find out what they think should be done to solve it. Feel free to ask more than one person to gather more answers..
Choose your solution. Does the community member’s solution sound like it would work? Or do you think there is a better way to solve the problem? It’s up to you!
Put it all together: Write a brief (300-500 words) essay in which you:
- Identify the problem.
- Summarize the community member’s idea to solve the problem.
- Propose the best solution. If you agreed with community member, explain why. If you think your idea will work better, explain why.
How to enter
All entries must be received by end of day on Monday, March 23. There are two ways to submit your entry:
Fill out and submit our online form:
- The form is available at here > (entry submissions are closed)
- Copy and paste your essay into the “Essay” box in the form.
- You can do this yourself or you can have your teacher or someone else help you.
- After VML receives your entry, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address entered on the form.
- At the top of the form, you will need to provide your full name, the name and location of your school, and your teacher’s full name and email address.
OR
Mail your essay with a filled-out entry form (Download/Print 2026 Rules) attached and mail to:
VML, Attn: 7th & 8th Grade Essay Contest
P.O. Box 12164
Richmond, VA 23241
Rules & Regulations
The contest is open to all Virginia students from VML member municipalities enrolled in the 7th or 8th Grade during the 2025-2026 school year. If you were a regional or statewide winner in 2025 you are not eligible to win this year (but congrats on your 2025 win!).
If you are not sure if you live or go to school in a member municipality, check the list of VML member municipalities.
All essays should be typed. Handwritten essays must be legible to be eligible for review.
Only one essay may be submitted per student.
Entries will be judged based on content and style.
Essays must be submitted by the end of the day on Monday, March 23. Winners will be notified in early April. VML will present the awards to the winners at one of their local council or school board meetings.
VML retains the right to publish essays along with the names and photos of each winning student.