Longwood student wins State of the Union essay contest

ORLANDO, Fla. – A Longwood student’s poignant paper on bridging the gap between opposing political parties landed her the top spot in the State of the Union essay contest.

Mimi Chen, 17, learned Wednesday that she won the contest when Rep. Stephanie Murphy visited her AP government class at Lake Mary Prep and gave her an invitation to attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. next month.

“Mimi’s essay explored the growing political divisions that exist in this country and the best way for young voices like hers to transcend them,” Murphy said. “I look forward to having her join me at the State of the Union next month, and to listen to her views of how young leaders in our country can make a difference by becoming more involved in our democratic process.”

Chen visited News 6 at Nine recently to talk about her essay and the importance of youth civic engagement. Watch her full interview in the video player at the top of this story.