Lake Oswego sixth grader wins Oregon Mayors Association's "If I Were Mayor" essay contest

Lake Oswego would be lucky to see Leuca Wanford’s vision of the city come true.

“Safer children, fewer cars in school zones, less carbon emissions in your city,” he wrote in his essay for the Oregon Mayors Association “If I Were Mayor…” civic awareness contest.

Leuca won the city’s middle school “If I Were Mayor…” essay competition and earned first place in the statewide competition, competing against students from 24 other Oregon cities.

In his essay, Leuca showed a dedication to clean energy, community events and education, earning the praise of the contest’s judges.

OMA’s “If I Were Mayor…” contest is for elementary, middle and high school students from across Oregon. Elementary school students enter a poster contest, the middle schoolers write a short essay and high schoolers submit a short video or multimedia presentation — all answering the pivotal prompt “If I Were Mayor…”

“I think the hardest part was thinking of values both I believe in and would benefit Lake Oswego,” said Leuca in an email. “I think using clean energy is important because if we don't, we both strip the Earth of its natural resources and destroy the environment.”

Leuca is currently a sixth grader at Lakeridge Middle School and entered the contest after seeing an article in the Lake Oswego Review. After consulting with the middle school Talented and Gifted coordinator Aletia Cochran, he wrote his essay.

“My advice to other middle schoolers is to enter,” said Leuca. “Even if you don't win, it's a great experience, and, in my opinion, fun to write the essay.”

He said that the idea he’s most proud of in his essay is to prioritize community events that “bring together the community and educate our citizens.”

In his essay, he noted events such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Labor Day and Veterans Day as opportunities to “raise awareness about public safety, climate change, mental health and social justice.”

Leuca will receive a $500 check for his accomplishment at the annual OMA summer conference in July.

“The best part about living in Lake Oswego is our fantastic and supportive community. This means there's a welcoming environment in our schools, libraries, workplaces, etc,” he said.

This is the second year in a row that a Lake Oswego middle schooler has won the statewide essay competition. Last year eighth grader Sophia Lu secured first place as well.

With another winner comes another year of advice for the mayor.

“Keep up the good work,” Leuca said. “We are already using clean energy, for example, and a continuation of this would be great!”