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Madelyn Lopez won top honors in the contest; Bryce Williams grabbed second-place; Caroline Adams took third. Lopez and Williams are Bayshore Elementary School students; Adams attends Leo A. Rizzuto Elementary School.

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.

Lopez and Williams are students of Michelle Gilchrist and Mistie Jamail, respectively. Adams is a student of Isabel Hinojosa.  

As for their charities, Lopez chose Texas Children’s Hospital; Williams chose St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; and Adams chose Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.

“What we have learned is it is not us who are teaching the children about respect, there is actually so much we can learn from the kids about respect,” said Jason Itkin, founder of Arnold & Itkin. “Just reading their stories and seeing their stories is inspiring … It’s something that we can all learn from.”