Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) hosted his sixth annual “There Ought to Be a Law” ceremony on Monday, June 23 at Mineola Middle School, where he recognized 24 semi-finalists selected from 483 entries submitted by fifth-grade students across seven local schools.

This year’s winning proposal came from Owen Isenberg of Mineola Middle School. Owen’s thoughtful idea calls for a law requiring free CPR and first-aid training for all youth athletes. His proposal emphasized the importance of equipping young athletes with basic emergency response skills to help protect themselves, their teammates and even their opponents in the event of serious injuries during games or practices.

Owen was joined at the ceremony by his fifth-grade teacher Ms. Jenna Cavuto and Mineola Middle School Principal Ms. Amy Trojanowski.

“The creativity and civic awareness these students bring to the table each year never fails to impress me,” said Ra. “Owen’s proposal is a perfect example of how young people are thinking about real-world solutions to protect and help others. I’m proud of all the students who took time to engage with the legislative process and share their ideas. Congratulations to Owen on his well-deserved recognition!”

Assemblyman Ra launched the “There Ought to Be a Law” contest to give students an opportunity to learn about the legislative process while using their voices to advocate for ideas that matter to them and their communities.

Participating schools and student semi-finalists are as follows:

Washington Street School
Luciana Salady
Sienna Sparacio

Manor Oaks
Natalie Machado
Sarah Mahmood

George Washington School
Lexi Gallo
Dylan Garcia Reyes
Isabella Llanos
Isabella Salinas
Marie Seck

St. Anne School
Dominic DiPaolo
Blair Waltersdorf

Notre Dame School
Daniela Ruesing
Parker Williams

Mineola Middle School
Benicio Ferreira
Tiago Andres Guimaraes
Owen Isenberg
Sophie Kaufman
Maximillian Aurelio Oliva
Victor Polmar
Lily Urias
Alexander Villa

Polk Street
Rosie Durkin
Vivian McGrade
Sophia Navarra