Discovery Middle School student Bouchra Benzit won the 2018 Orange County Public Schools
“Spreading the Dream” essay contest. With 2,000 middle school student entries
the judges had a tough time picking the winner. Students were asked to write an
essay explaining the leadership qualities Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. possessed
that made him an effective leader of the Civil Rights Movement. The contest is
sponsored by Our Faith-Based partners with the AACCC (African American Council
of Christian Clergy) and president Bishop Kelvin Cobaris. The winner is awarded
$500. School level winners are given a $100 gift card. This is the fifth year
of the contest, which began in the 2013-14 school year, with a small cohort of
middle schools and quickly expanded the next school year to all middle schools,
including the K-8 schools. It is a partnership grounded in education,
faith, and law.