Well, I would like to welcome all of you, school leaders, parents, and family, those watching on GITV television, and our bright young minds of Grand Island.

Thank you so much for being here.

It is truly an honor to stand before you today as we celebrate the remarkable achievements of our city's sixth grade students.

Each of them has poured their hearts and souls into their essays, expressing their love for Grand Island and their aspirations for our future.

These essays are not just words on paper.

They are a testament to the passion and dedication these young citizens have for our community.

And isn't that wonderful?

As mayor of Grand Island, I am constantly reminded of the profound impact that education has in our society.

Education is not just about acquiring knowledge, it is about empowering individuals to become active and engaged citizens.

And that's what these young people are all about.

They're learning how to be active and engaged citizens.

Education instills in us the ideas of responsibility, empathy, and civic duty.

And nowhere is that more evident than in the inspiring essays written by these young people.

In their essays, these students have shared their love for Grand Island, the vibrant community that we call home.

They have celebrated Grand Island's rich history, its diverse culture, and its boundless opportunities.

But what truly sets these essays apart is the vision they have for our future.

These students aren't just content with the present.

They are eager to make a difference and to help shape the destiny of Grand Island.

They have proposed ideas ranging from environmental conservation to community outreach programs, from improving infrastructure and to fostering inclusivity.

Their creativity knows no bounds, and their enthusiasm is infectious, and you can see that in their essays.

But perhaps most importantly, they have demonstrated a profound sense of citizenship, a willingness to roll up their sleeves and work to create a better tomorrow for all of us.

So let us heed the words of these young visionaries.

Let us remember their optimism and their determination, and let us work together to build an even greater Grand Island.

In closing, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to each and every student who participated in this essay contest.

Thank you and congratulations.

And remember, the future of Grand Island lies in your hands.

So dream big, aim high, and never stop believing in yourselves and never stop believing in the power of education and citizenship.

I thank you all for being here.

Well, guys, ladies, gentlemen, today is a big day for Grand Island.

And I'll tell you why.

We get to hear about your ideas, your vision, your plans for your community.

It's also a big day for you, and I'm going to tell you why I know that.

Thirty-eight years ago, this summer, I was mayor for a day in the big town of Dorchester, Nebraska.

That's a town of about 600 people, small village.

And it was 1986, and we were invited, the sixth grade class was invited to do an essay on what Dorchester would look like in the year 2000.

Of course, back then I thought there would be flying cars and all kinds of neat things that didn't quite uh didn't quite turn out uh the way we thought as a sixth grader.

So as we were going over your essays, what I appreciated most about your ideas is that they were all very realistic.

You had real plans, you had real visions in place.

And as I think back to my time when I was mayor for a day, I appreciate it, and it this this is probably why it's a big day for you, bigger than you realize.

It was the first time in my life where I had been forced to think about others, the community, how I wanted to make the community better for them.

And that's what all of you did in your essays.

You were thinking about others and how to make Grand Island a better community for yourself one day as well as your peers.

So thank you for taking the time and the effort.

By the way, if we go back to 1986 when I did my essay, Grand Island was 20,000 people fewer than it is today.

It has grown by 20,000 people more, or has 20,000 more people today than it did back then.

So think about by the time you graduate in another six years, Grand Island will certainly be even bigger.

I want to thank Mayor Steele and the City of Grand Island for partnering on this project.

I think it's worthwhile.

I think it would be worth doing every year.

Um, and I also want to thank especially Spencer Schubert with the mayor's team uh and with the city because he put in a lot of extra time over time.

He actually typed out all the essays, so they will be available on the chamber website so that the entire community can read the great ideas and the great visions presented by the uh by the students.

Finally, I want to thank the Chamber Foundation Board.

The foundation is the one providing the uh the big cash payments today for the for the winners, and uh Kurt Hacker with Home Federal uh is the president of the foundation, and he really went an extra mile to help me out there.

So I'm gonna turn it over to Spencer Schubert.

Thanks, Spence again.

You know, when Jamie first came up and said, hey, I have an idea about an essay contest.

I said, I've only been here two months.

Give me a second.

But the last month and a half I'd say has been, it's been enriching, not only to read what these sixth graders have had to say, but it's also been fun to see the community partnerships and the community minds of these students and all of the objectives they want to achieve by the time they graduate.

I can tell you one thing miniature golf and bring back Skate Island.