Patriot's Pen Essay Contest

Dear Friends, Family, and Readers,

            On Thursday 12/8 one of my eighth grade students was awarded a certificate and cash prize of $100 for her efforts in an essay contest.  The essay contest was sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post on Beach Road in Saipan, MP.  The middle school students on island wrote for the Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest and the high school entries had to submit voice recorded speeches.  The essay contest almost didn’t happen at our school because last year I made classes aware of it, but no one submitted.  This year I felt as though I needed to honor veterans since my birthday is on Veteran’s Day.  Feeling convicted I made my classes write essays based on the contest rules, but told them they did not have to enter the final copy if they felt strongly against it.  The prompt students were required to write on was “Are you proud of your country?”  My student beat 40 other students in her attempt to win.  While winning first place on the island for the regional competition her essay was then sent off to be judged for the state competition, which consisted of 7 regions.  Out of those 7 regions she placed 4^th.  I have a strong feeling that if she does this contest next year at the high school level she will do very well.  Had she won the state competition she would have gone on to the national competition.  If she won at nationals she would have received a $10,000 cash prize.  At the high school level this prize is $30,000!  Needless to say, I was very proud of her and glad that she was willing to try something new.

A link to the online newspaper article concerning the contest and my student’s achievement can be found on the Saipan Tribune’s website at:

http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=114871

I hope that you enjoy the pictures of the awards ceremony, however, informal they may have been that night!

I believe this is Mariano Fajardo (mentioned in the above hyperlinked article) while he read the winners of the high school competition.

Mary Grace receiving her certificate from VFW Post 3457 of Saipan, MP

The whole group of winners, middle school through high school 1-3rd places.  The man in the back row on the far right is teacher Paul Murphy who received the Citizenship Teacher Award.  There were only two essays entered and he was the fortunate winner.  To receive the teacher award students had to write an essay for a teacher they would like to nominate.

Mary Grace and I  just before our dinner arrived and we talked about what she would like to do in life. She said that she would like to become a doctor someday.  As to what doctor she would like to become, she is not sure.  What I do know is that she is well on her way to achieving her dreams.

 Saipan Time is also Guam Time: