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Local students win V.F.W. essay contest PDF Print E-mail
Education
Written by Kevin Gray   
Wednesday, 10 December 2008 15:35
Three local students placed in the Paola VFW 3712 Patriot’s Pen and Voice of America essay contests.

Samantha Wagner, an eighth-grader at Paola Middle School, won the district prize and will read her essay at the VFW District Conference in April.

Molly Margaret Hart, a Holy Trinity Catholic School eighth-grader, was the other Patriot’s Pen winner and Sarah Berner, a Paola High School senior, won the Voice of Democracy essay contest. Patriot’s Pen is for students in grades 6-8, whereas Voice of Democracy is for high school writers.

Both Samantha and Molly were awarded $100 savings bonds and Sarah received a $250 check.

Samantha was very excited to win the district contest.

“My mom was the one to answer the phone when I got the call, and I ended up running around screaming,” she said.

Jim Oliver, Post 3712 essay chair, was also excited to have the students read their essays at the local post Sunday.

“I get so excited about these kinds of things for our kids,” he said. “There were over 30 entries, and Samantha was number one out of 24 other VFW posts. She has a lot to be proud of.”

Samantha, who is the daughter of Matthew and Marquette Wagner of Paola, wrote, “Honor our vets. Honor our country. Honor America. Veterans are our country. Veterans are America.”

Molly, the daughter of Nick and Connie Hart of Paola, wrote, “We think of the vets as those guys we see at our town’s parades, but they are so much more … they’re the reason we can do what we want to do. We wouldn’t be free without them.”

Sarah spoke about a visit to Paola High School by Vietnam POW Charlie Plumb.

“He taught me that he survived for three reasons: his faith, self-discipline, and pride. When I think of my own hardships, I think about this man and how he sacrificed and endured,” she said.

Berner is the daughter of Bob and Sylvia Berner of Paola. Sylvia won the Voice of Democracy contest when she was a senior at Russell High School.
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