Serene Colden of Lindsay Middle School is the statewide winner of the “If I Were Mayor” essay contest

Congratulations to Serene Colden, seventh grade student at Lindsay Middle School. She is this year’s statewide winner of the “If I Were Mayor” essay contest. The contest is sponsored by the Virginia Municipal League (VML) and is open to seventh and eighth grade students across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Students submitting entries are asked to write a short essay in which they identify an issue in their locality, talk to others about possible solutions, and then present the solution that they believe will best address the issue.

“Serene Colden is a model scholar at Lindsay Middle School. She is currently an Honor Roll Scholar with straight A's. There is no surprise in the ability to write a significant essay to address the issues we may face in our community,” said Lindsay principal Sharif Hicks. “She is very humble, and even was shy to announce this major accomplishment. We, at Lindsay Middle School, are so proud of Serene for this amazing achievement. She shows why our model is Challenge Accepted!”

Serene will be recognized at an upcoming City Council meeting where she will presented with a plaque and a $250 gift card. The winning essay will be featured in the May issue of VML’s magazine, Virginia Town & City.