La Porte ISD students define respect, win annual contest

The interpretations of four La Porte ISD fifth-grade students garnered honors in the 2026 Respect Contest, an annual project of the Arnold & Itkin Foundation.

The students recognized as winners were Sophia Padilla of Bayshore Elementary, Mila Madison of College Park Elementary, Chloe Cunningham of Heritage Elementary and Blakely Nelson of Leo A. Rizzuto Elementary. They were honored, along with 11 other Houston-area students, in Judge Christine Weems’ 281st District Court.

Contestants are required to define the word respect in two or fewer sentences, and draw a picture to complement their explanation. The foundation, which is an outreach of the Houston-based law firm Arnold & Itkin, reviews every entry. The winners receive a donation to their school, a contribution to the charity of their choice, and a cash prize for themselves.

For their charities, Padilla and Cunningham chose St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital; Madison chose the American Cancer Society and Nelson chose the La Porte Animal Shelter.

“Every year, these students remind us that respect is something you practice, not just talk about,” said Kurt Arnold, founding partner of Arnold & Itkin. “We’re proud to support the schools and causes they care about.”