Alex Torres may have lost his grandfather years ago, but a school assignment proved the 15-year-old’s childhood hero still influences his life.

Torres was caught off guard when his teacher at Webster Middle School announced in class that the eighth-grader won this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest, which is organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King Commemoration Society.

He had no idea the assignment, which involved writing about how he lives his life as a reflection of King’s dream, was part of a contest. He also admits to not being known for his writing prowess.

“I text my mom immediately to tell her that I won. She didn’t believe me,” he said with a laugh.

But Torres never struggled to write the essay. Inspiration came easy.

It came from a place of healing â€" a time when he first learned how to overcome tragedy.

So how does his life reflect King’s dream? By not giving up.

His essay centers on a particular quote from the civil rights leader: “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

Torres first saw the quote about two years after his grandfather died. The two were especially close, and he still grappled with his passing.

“It motivated me to move on,” he said.

He later turned to that quote for motivation after failing to make a soccer team and feared he wasn’t good enough. Instead of calling it quits, he tried out again and earned a spot on the A team.

Torres compared his inspiration to the inspiration that King’s “I Have a Dream” speech offered to the hundreds of thousands of participants in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Although the magnitude of the circumstances are different, the message is the same: Don’t give up.

“Never forget that anything is possible, and follow your dreams,” he wrote. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise cause if you do, you’ll never reach your goal.”

Once the shock subsided, Torres felt proud about what he accomplished. It reaffirmed the theme of his essay, reminding him he can do anything.

But most of all, he knows his grandpa would be proud.