BONAIRE, Ga. — Next week is Jimmy Carter's 100th birthday. To celebrate him, Pre-K through 12th grade students from all over the country submitted entries to the 2024 Plains Peanut Festival Postcard contest.
One of the winners is a first grader at Houston County's Hilltop Elementary School.
Each student worked on their postcard entry from home. When 7-year-old Teddy Schlemmer submitted his, he had no idea it would be award winning.
"I was super happy,” he said. “So happy."
Earnestine McRae recently taught her first grade class who Jimmy Carter is.
“We did talk about Jimmy Carter,” McRae said. “Some of them knew about him and it was really cool to know that he was from Georgia.”
Schlemmer’s fascination with a fun fact about Carter led the way for the design.
"He used to own a peanut farm," he said.
He is headed to Plains, Georgia on Saturday to receive his award in person at the Plains Peanut Festival. And his teacher, who has been waiting for a win in this contest, will tag along.
"I have done it every year,” McRae said. “I know for the last 15 years, and I've never had a winner. This is my last year of teaching and I'm ecstatic that I finally get a winner."
Teddy's mom Christa Schlemmer said the whole family will be celebrating too with some personal history in mind.
"It turns out that Teddy's grandfather, he had just turned old enough to vote and that was the first election and he voted for President Carter," she said.
Until Saturday's event, McRae's class will keep celebrating from the classroom.
Teddy was not the only student in Central Georgia to place in the top for the postcard contest. Students drew these designs on a 3 by 5 index card. The artwork had to include peanuts in some way.
On Saturday, they will walk in the Plains Peanut Festival Parade and get their awards.