MUNFORDVILLE, Ky. — A Hart County High School student is among four high schoolers selected as winners of a statewide essay contest organized by Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams.

Ethan Booher, a 12th-grade student at Hart County High School, was named one of four winners of the Secretary of State's 2026 Essay Contest.

The contest invited high school students from across Kentucky to write a message to future Kentuckians, reflecting on what they hope future generations will know about the state.

Booher was joined among the winners by Zachary Maurmeier, a ninth-grader from Bullitt County; Sarah Jacob, a 10th-grader from Jefferson County; and Kaylee Hoskins-Foster, an 11th-grader from Boone County.

The office also announced the winner of its middle school slogan contest, which asked students to express their hopes for Kentucky’s future. Korbin Sizemore, a sixth-grader at Bell Central School Center in Bell County, was selected.

The winners will receive cash prizes and plaques. Their essays and slogans will also be placed in the state’s 2026 Bourbon Barrel Time Capsule, which is scheduled to be opened in 2051.