Six high school students from Sarasota’s public schools have won awards from the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County’s YVote Contest for their essay or poster entries expressing their views on why it is important for every eligible person to vote. The students received their awards for their winning entries on November 28, 2023, during Sarasota School Board’s Moments of Pride Special Event. Teams of League members and other Sarasota writing and art experts judged the entries through a ‘blind’ process where they had no knowledge of the student’s name, grade, or school. First place winners received $500; those in second place received $300; third place winners received $200. Essay winners were: 1st Place - Hayden Heaney, Venice High School, Grade 10 for his essay, The Pivotal Role of American Democracy. 2nd Place - Addyson Domian, Venice High School, Grade 12, for her essay, To the 44%. 3rd Place - Kathryn Domian, Pine View High School, Grade 10, for her essay, Tiny But Mighty Spark. Poster winners were: 1st Place - Aliciana Harvey-Lopez, Pine View School, grade 12, for her poster, Empowering the Voice of Diversity. 2nd Place - Vito Sgroi, Riverview High School, grade 10, for his poster, Step Up. 3rd Place - Jacquelyn Williams, Suncoast Polytechnical High School, grade 12, for her poster, All United Voting. The YVote contest was conducted in partnership with Sarasota district public schools and was fully funded by Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Winning entries will be on display at libraries throughout the county during 2024.