We had over 200 entries in our Why I Love my School contest; essays, videos, slides, and pictures were submitted for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The winners of each group, and their families and teachers, traveled to Indianapolis in January to meet legislators and tour the capital building during our "Lutheran SGO Day at the Statehouse."

See their winning entries below; it will be worth your time to read and watch these wonderful submissions from students at schools benefitting from your generosity.

Special thanks to celebrity judges Mark Ulmschneider, SGO donor from Northeast Indiana; Jeff Huntington, teacher from Central Indiana; and Ashley Waggy, fundraising and enrollment director from Southern Indiana. You will see other contest submissions over the next 12-18 months; with 209 entries, we have some great stories to share!

The Winners:

• Overall Winner: Zachary Lister, 6th grade, Immanuel Lutheran School, Seymour and teacher Sandy Franke.
• Administrator's Choice Award: Sidney Scheumann, 11th grade, Concordia Lutheran High School, Fort Wayne and teacher Faith Felton.
• K-2: Noah Sattgast, 2nd grade, St. James Lutheran School, Lafayette and teacher Melissa Trautman.
• 3-5: Thomas Ernst, 4th grade, St. Peter's Lutheran School, Columbus and teacher Carrie Becker.
• 6-8: Amiah McDonald, 6th grade, Emmaus Lutheran School, Indianapolis and teacher Lori Wachtman.
• 6-8: Theodore Burfiend, 6th grade, Redeemer Classical, Fort Wayne and teacher Nathaniel Pullmann
  
• 9-12: Grace Levitt, 11th grade, Concordia Lutheran High School, Fort Wayne and teacher Kevin McGladdery.