Who: Seniors
Amount: $500
Deadline: March 20th, 2026
Keyword(s): essay, strengths, hope, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please stop in the Counseling Office or check the Class of 2026 Google Classroom for a copy of the NAACP Essay Cover Page which must be submitted along with your essay.
The essay topic for 2026 is:
On October 26, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King spoke to a group of
high school students at Barratt Junior High School. He asked them, “What is your life’s
blueprint?” He spoke about the possibilities available to a young life. He left the students with
the following advice, “Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail.
If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever
you are.” Write about what you hope to accomplish with your life. What do you see as your
challenges? What are your strengths? Write your own blueprint.
Essays should be sufficient length to adequately cover the topic.
Submissions can be emailed to [email protected].