Jimmy Carter, the 39th president and a proud peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia, just turned 100, the first president to do so.

In honor of his birthday, more than 4,000 students from coast to coast got creative and sent hand-drawn birthday cards celebrating the former president.

The effort is part of the annual Peanut Festival Postcard Contest, a contest started nearly 15 years ago by the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains. The competition not only pays tribute to Carter’s political legacy and humanitarian work, but also spotlights the role of peanuts in Georgia’s economy and history through art.

At the heart of the competition is Courtney Stoops, the education specialist at Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, a role created at Carter’s request to advocate for students and educators across the state.

With Stoops’ help, CNN reached out to the winners of this year’s peanut-themed masterpieces to ask how Carter’s legacy inspired their postcards and shapes their world.

Editor’s note — The winners’ responses have been edited for clarity.