Tyler ISD students earn national recognition in Optimum’s Hispanic heritage essay contest
Published 5:45 am Saturday, December 13, 2025
More than 1,400 students across the country entered Optimum’s 18th annual Hispanic Heritage Month Essay Contest — but two of the four grand-prize winners came from Tyler ISD. Each received a $3,000 scholarship. A Tyler Legacy High School student earned the runner-up distinction.
Optimum, a provider of fiber internet, mobile, and TV services, operates across 21 states and sponsors the annual contest to celebrate Hispanic culture and encourage student engagement.
“Optimum is thrilled to see a record number of submissions for this year’s Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest, a testament to the passion and creativity of students across our 21-state footprint,” said Sean O’Connell, Senior Vice President, Regional General Manager at Optimum, in a press release. “For eighteen years, this contest has celebrated the vibrant stories and traditions that shape Hispanic culture, and each year we are reminded of the positive impact we can make by fostering education and honoring diversity in the communities we serve.”
To recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, observed each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Optimum asked students to write 500-word essays about a person, tradition, celebration or experience that connected them to Hispanic culture. Submissions were judged through a blind review system, with all identifying information removed and each essay assigned a number so reviewers could focus on the prompt alone.
“The students ran with it, which really speaks to the engagement of the administrators, of the educators, and of the students,” said Tracy Langer, area marketing director for Optimum.
Across Optimum’s East and West regions, 16 students were recognized as winners. Five of those students were from Texas, including three from Tyler ISD, which included Luke Donnan, an eighth grader at Hubbard Middle School, for his essay “The Sharpened Name of Resilience,” and Jocelin Aguillon, a senior at Early College High School, for her essay “The Backyard That Fed Our Hearts.”
Tyler Legacy senior Kenadi Carmichael was named the contest’s runner-up.
“I’m just so grateful… it was completely unexpected,” Carmichael said. “I know the people who did get first deserve it… But I’m gonna be honest, at first I didn’t really think about (submitting) because I thought, well, I’m obviously not Hispanic, so there probably wouldn’t be a chance for me to win it, or I probably wouldn’t be able to represent the culture as well as people that actually live it.”
Carmichael said she grew up immersed in Hispanic culture in different ways. Her experiences ranged from baking conchas to volunteering her artistic skills to paint sugar skulls at Día de los Muertos celebrations – traditions that ultimately inspired her essay.
“Día de los Muertos is honoring your ancestors and loving family, even if you can’t see them right there, and knowing that they’re there supporting you, that positive message was something I appreciated,” she explained.
Carmichael titled her essay “Marigolds” because, she said, “the staple of Día de los Muertos is marigolds on the ofrenda. And I remember all of my art would always be marigold-themed because marigolds are that symbol of love and hope and renewal. So I felt like it was also symbolic in the essay of what Hispanic culture, and especially that holiday, is about.”
Although the runner-up honor did not come with a scholarship, Optimum surprised Carmichael Thursday morning with an iPad and case, as well as a special flag that had flown over the Capitol and a letter and certificate signed by Senator Bryan Hughes.
Langer said her team wanted to make students aware of opportunities like the essay contest and worked to ensure local schools shared the information with their students.
“We plan to continue doing this again next year,” she added. “So I hope to see the same level of engagement and winners from the Tyler area.”
