MONMOUTH COUNTY – With nearly 200 submissions, three creative 4th graders were selected as winners of the annual ‘My County’ 2023 Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey (COANJ) poster contest.
Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners, County Surrogate Maureen T. Raisch, County Clerk Christine G. Hanlon and Sheriff Shaun Golden revealed the first, second and third place winners and invited them to the most recent Commissioner meeting to display their work.
Every year, all 4th graders in Monmouth County are invited to create posters that showcase unique aspects of Monmouth County and how they relate to county government. This year, the Constitutional Officers had to choose the winners from more than 190 entries submitted by schools from across the county.
The winners of the poster contest were George Lane, first place, St. Leo the Great School; Lucia Ortega, second place, St. Leo the Great School; and Kenneth Shaffer, third place, St. Benedict School.
“It’s always great to meet and congratulate the talented winners of the annual ‘My County’ poster contest, since they dedicate valuable time to these creative posters,” Sheriff Golden said. “The project brings out the best in Monmouth County, and is a notable example of civic engagement, as it helps our students learn more about the great county we live in.”
Students who received honorable mention recognition were: Gabriela Ramos Romns, Middletown Community Elementary School; Lucas Valdez-Hernandez, Avon Elementary School; Sean Kinkela, Avon Elementary School; Emily Milon, St. Leo the Great School; Phoebe Braica, St. Leo the Great School; Aubrey Braica, St. Leo the Great School; Mckenzi Wolfe, St. Rose of Lima School; Andrew Hunt, St. Rose of Lima School; and Anthony Lombardis, St. Catharine School.
“After learning about the State of New Jersey in their social studies curriculum, fourth graders from across Monmouth County depicted their favorite aspects of our County and its government through their creative entries,” Clerk Hanlon said. “I commend all of the students who participated in this year’s contest, as we were impressed by their artistic talents and eye-catching posters.”
The winning posters will be displayed at the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, located at 33 Mechanic Street in Freehold.
