To commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the day Rosa Parks made history and refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, the Grand Rapids Community Relations Commission (CRC) hosted a symbolic bus ride through downtown Grand Rapids, and the Rosa Parks Education Committee announced the winners of the 2018 Rosa Parks essay contest on Dec. 7.

There were nine winners in total, separated into categories of grades 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12.

Among the high school winners is Xiangyu Chen ’21. Chen’s essay, titled “Everyday Leaders: Torches of the the Trail Blazers” won second place among 187 qualified essays, awarding him $300 in prize money.