OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Students from grades seven through twelve competed Monday night at the Holland Performing Arts Center in the eighth annual “Living the Dream” competition, a Martin Luther King Jr.-inspired event with cash prizes.
Bryan High School junior Andrea Chaparro, 17, participated with a speech called “The Promise,” advocating for immigrant students who feel the American dream is slipping away.
“I am representing people with dreams. I am representing the land of opportunities,” Chaparro said.
The competition featured speech, poetry, dance and music performances. For South Omaha families, Chaparro’s message resonated as she fought for immigrant students in her community.
“It overall depicts my promise to future generations to come into anyone whose listening to my speech today,” Chaparro said.
Nicholas Clawson, one of Chaparro’s high school teachers, said she inspires hope for the future.
“It’s the rare combination of natural ability, natural talent, combined with a work ethic,” Clawson said.
Clawson said other students had strong reactions to Chaparro’s performances.
“I would watch the other students’ reactions. They would say they got chills, their hair standing up, some of them even tearing up,” he said.
Chaparro, an advocate for the South Omaha community, said she wants to bring change like King himself.
“This is our form of protest, and this is exactly how we should be living Martin Luther King’s legacy and dream,” she said.
Chaparro did not win the competition, but said her generation’s voices are just getting started. She plans to continue advocating for South Omaha students.
“I truly believe that this country, at times, we lose sight at what that American dream, of what that American promise is. And I want to highlight that us as students, as the youth in our community speaking up, is away to protect that promise,” she said.
Chaparro also competes in pageants. She won the Miss Inspirational Teen USA pageant and will travel to the Dominican Republic in two weeks to compete for the world crown. She said she wants to become a journalist.
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