Thirteen local students took part in a naming contest for the Fuquay-Varina museums' quarterly newsletter and website.
Fuquay-Varina Middle School seventh grader Taylor Johnson won first place April 12 in the naming contest with her entry, "Footprints of the Past."
Fuquay-Varina is deep rooted in its heritage, but the friends of the museums hoped to link it to the future.
With several students visiting the museums each year, an opportunity became available for middle school students to make their own mark on the town. The museums held a naming contest for the website and newsletter.
Entries were accepted in February and March and Taylor Johnson was announced as the winner in a special ceremony on April 12 at the museums.
Johnson’s entry, “Footprints of the Past” will be the name of the new quarterly newsletter that is due out this month as well as the museums’ website.
“We liked the idea of the past walking into the future,” Museum Volunteer Director Shirley Simmons said.
Johnson received a $25 check and recognition among her peers at the event. All of the 13 entrants received a certificate. The students’ names were called in random order before the second place winner, Samantha Molesworth, was announced and finally Johnson.
The seventh grader from Fuquay-Varina Middle School said she had no idea she won before her name was called. In fact, Johnson thought Simmons had forgotten her before she announced the winner.
Johnson visited the museums in November with the entire FVMS seventh grade. When the contest was announced, she actually submitted five entries to her English teacher, Vicki Powell. The winning entry came to mind when she was thinking back on all of the people of Fuquay-Varina’s past.
“I thought about the footprints that walked around Fuquay,” Johnson said.
The museums made a big impression on her. She liked seeing the jail house with the old cells and police badges as well as the school house where she liked counting all of the stars on the flag.
“I love this museum,” Johnson said. “It was really fun.”
Powell couldn’t be more proud of Johnson and all of her students that submitted entries. She had 70 entries and recruited other FVMS teachers to help her narrow them down. Powell was one of five teachers represented with student entries; the others were Teachers: Shannon Oakes, Shirley Dunn, Judy Bub and Angela Harrell.
“It’s an exciting thing to have the museum newsletter named by a Fuquay-Varina Middle School seventh grader,” Powell said.
Even more than the contest, Powell said she was excited to see her students engaging in the history of their town.
“We learned the importance of our town’s history,” Powell said of the FVMS seventh grade trip to the museums. “They learned quite a lot.”
Other entrants in the contest included Justin Blanchard, Jaz Redmond, Jonah Pimentel, Brittany Lindsey, Luke Sowers, Jamilyn Borbas, Ryan Burnett, Janna Reeves, Serenity Smith, Grant Kirkman.
An honorable mention was given to Bub and Harrell’s third grade class from Lafayette Elementary School.
“It’s kind of neat when this generation appreciates (the town’s history),” Simmons said.
Contact Kelly Griffith at kgriffith@civitasmedia.com or 919-552-5675.
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