The City of Columbia would like to celebrate the winners of the 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Keeper Scholarships and the Honor the Dream Food Drive. These winners were announced and honored at the 38th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Service, which took place this past Monday, January 19, 2026 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 2300 Greene St.
The City of Columbia accepted applications, ranging from elementary, middle, and high school students enrolled in Richland School District One for the 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Keeper Scholarship Awards. The Dream Keeper Scholarship Awards program recognizes exemplary displays of committed service to the tenets of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2026 MLK Dream Keeper Scholarship Winners
Elementary
$100.00 1st Place: Calvin Hastie, Brockman Elementary School
$75.00 2nd Place: Melani Hernandez Martinez, A.J. Lewis Greenview Elementary School
$50.00 3rd Place: Makenze E. Tilley, Meadowfield Elementary School
$25.00 Honorable Mention: Trista Jones, Hopkins Elementary School
Middle School
$250.00 1st Place: Natalie Maurice, W.G. Sanders Middle School
$175.00 2nd Place: Layloni Randle, Southeast Middle School
$100.00 3rd Place: Alana Wilkerson, Hand Middle School
$75.00 Honorable Mention: Bryce McKellar, Crayton Middle School
High School
$1000.00 1st Place: A’keyah Chisolm, Eau Claire High School
$500.00 2nd Place: Halayna Sumter, Richland One Middle College
$250.00 3rd Place: Siya Bakshi, Dreher High School
$100.00 Honorable Mention: Jennylis Sanchez-Martinez, C.A. Johnson High School
The City of Columbia, Richland School District One and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation held the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Honor the Dream Food Drive benefiting Harvest Hope Food Bank from October 13, 2025 to November 14, 2025. The food drive is held each year to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of community service.
2026 MLK Honor the Dream Food Drive Winners
Elementary Category: Congratulations to Caughman Elementary– 383 pounds
Middle School Category: Congratulations to Hand Middle School– 909 pounds
High School Category: Congratulations to Lower Richland High School– 54 pounds
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you for helping honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service!