Bethlehem student wins first Raíces national essay contest

Kelsey McIntyre, a student at The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Pennsylvania, won the first Raíces national essay contest for a piece about family, food and Hispanic heritage. The contest drew nearly 400 submissions nationwide and will send McIntyre and her teacher to Spain in 2027.

Why it matters: - The Raíces contest is designed to get middle and high school students to explore Hispanic history and culture in their own communities. - The winning essay will be included in an upcoming book, extending the student work beyond the competition. - The top prize gives McIntyre and her teacher a weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip to Spain in summer 2027.

What happened: - Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, the Embassy of Spain and Vista announced Kelsey McIntyre of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as the winner of the first Raíces national essay contest. - McIntyre is a student at The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. - The recognition came on Oct. 3 at an awards ceremony at the Embassy of Spain during National Hispanic Heritage Month. - McIntyre and her teacher, Sophia Betancourt, will each bring a companion on the Spain trip.

The details: - The contest was created by Spanish journalist Guillermo Fesser as part of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. - Students nationwide submitted essays in English, Spanish or both. - The contest received just shy of 400 submissions. - McIntyre’s essay, “Masa y Memoria: How Casey's Empanadas Feed More Than Hunger,” focuses on her cousin Casey and the family recipes passed down from his mother and grandmother. - The essay connects food to culture, language and memory across a dispersed family and ends with a reflection on sobremesa, the lingering time at the table after a meal. - McIntyre and her teacher will visit Madrid, Seville, Málaga and sites linked to U.S. independence. - Each finalist, along with their teacher and school, received a certificate and commemorative silver coin from the Spanish Royal Mint. - Each finalist’s essay will appear in Fesser’s upcoming publication, “Hispanic Roots of the USA.” - The other finalists came from schools in Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia, Maryland, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, D.C., Texas and Florida.

Between the lines: - The judging panel mixed media, diplomacy, philanthropy and history, signaling that the contest was meant to bridge classroom writing with broader civic and cultural storytelling. - Judges included José Andrés, Cecilia Vega, Luis Fernández, Julissa Reynoso and Ada Ferrer. - The essay contest also reflects a push to center Hispanic contributions in the story of the nation’s founding, not just in heritage month programming. - Ambassador of Spain to the United States Ángeles Moreno Bau said the finalists’ essays showed that Hispanic heritage is present in everyday communities, not only in history books. - Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino President and CEO Estuardo Rodríguez said the contest helps students preserve stories for future generations. - Vista Vice President of Strategic Partnerships Arturo Castillon said the essays bring Hispanic American history to life through language and literacy.

What's next: - McIntyre and Betancourt are set to travel to Spain in summer 2027. - Fesser’s book, “Hispanic Roots of the USA,” will publish with the finalists’ essays included. - Supporters and sponsors, including Goya Foods, Hisdesat, Iberia, Repsol, Banco Santander, Real Casa de la Moneda, Telemundo, Fundación Gomaespuma and Fundación Consejo España-Estados Unidos, backed the contest.

The bottom line: - A Pennsylvania high school student won the inaugural Raíces contest by turning a family food story into a larger lesson about Hispanic memory, identity and the American story.