Lehi People
Lehi Junior student wins National PTA Reflections award
Many months ago, before his voice changed, Hunter Rowe recorded his original song “Change” and submitted it to the Music Composition category of the PTA Reflections contest. On May 1, the Lehi Junior High eighth-grader was awarded the National Reflections Award of Excellence for his upbeat, optimistic song. Hunter received a $200 Young Artist Scholarship and a silver medal, and his work will be featured in the Reflections traveling exhibit.
The National PTA received close to 900 student entries from 44 state PTA congresses in its annual Reflections contest in 2020 with the theme “I Matter Because …” Two hundred student artists were recognized on the national level, and four were from Alpine School District, including Hunter Rowe.
“My family is pretty musical, and I’m always writing songs and trying out different instruments,” said Hunter. He picked up his brother’s ukulele and accompanied himself singing for his Reflections submission. The song is about helping others to make positive changes.
“I believe what I can do to make a difference is look for someone in need. Even people who appear to have everything might be in need of family or love,” explained Hunter.
“We applaud all of the students who participated in the Reflections program this school year,” said Leslie Boggs, president of National PTA. “Participating in the arts helps students express their thoughts, feelings, ideas and emotions, which is especially important to support children’s well-being during this time in our country.”
Each year, the National PTA Reflections program encourages students of all ages to create and submit original works of art, in the medium of their choice, that reflect on the annual theme. Submissions are reviewed by arts experts, and students are recognized for their artistic technique and ingenuity in bringing the theme to life.
“I was surprised my song went that far,” said Hunter, who was surprised at school on May 3 with the national Reflections award. He plans to continue to write songs and he looks forward to participating in Reflections again this fall when the theme will be “I Will Change the World By …”
