VFW Post and Auxiliary #4117 honor top entries in annual youth essay contest
Top VFW Auxiliary essays from East Elementary School ... Left to right - Front row: Ada Iverson - fifth grade third place, Brielle Kruger - fifth grade first place, Rozlyn Kruger - fourth grade second place, and Mason Jones - third grade first place; Back row: VFW Auxiliary Americanism Chair Julie Rotach, and East Elementary School teachers of the essay-writing students, Cody Snitker, Connie Nagel, Dani Bucknell and Sara Retallick. Submitted photo.
Top VFW Auxiliary essays from St. Patrick Elementary School ... Left to right - Front row: Kinley Krenzke - third grade third place, Ruby Welch - third grade second place, Sawyer Troendle - fourth grade third place, Brielle Gavin - fourth grade first place, Petra Quiroz - fifth grade second place, and VFW Auxiliary Americanism Chair Julie Rotach; Back row: St. Patrick Elementary School teachers of the essay-writing students, Martha Byrnes, Loretta Schafer and Sandy Riese. Submitted photo.
Top Patriot’s Pen essays from St. Patrick School sixth grade... Left to right: Hailey Miller - first place, Dane Burns - second place, Kaden Mitchell - third place. Submitted photo.
Top Patriot’s Pen essays from Waukon Middle School sixth through eighth grades ... Left to right - Front row: Tate Ellingson - seventh grade third place, Mariesa Gibbs - sixth grade second place, Adrick Christensen - sixth grade third place, Issac Johanningmeier - eighth grade third place, and Allia Ericson - sixth grade first place; Back row: Trinity Protsman - seventh grade second place, Reegan Benzing - seventh grade first place, Connor Stilwell - eighth grade second place, and Johnathan Marti - eighth grade first place. Submitted photo.
Waukon High School Voice of Democracy top essays ... Pictured with Waukon High School Principal Jennifer Garin (far left) and instructor Louise Wild (far right) are the top Waukon High School entries in the VFW Voice of Democracy essay contest. Left to right: Emma Palmer - third place, Jackson Perkins - second place, and Azlynn Cota - first place. Submitted photo.
The Lawrence D. Anderson VFW Post #4117 and the VFW Auxiliary to Post #4117 recently selected the winners of their annual youth essay contest involving local students in third grade on up through high school students. The local winners of the contest, selected in November, advanced on to the District level of competition.
Sixth grader Allia Ericson of Waukon Middle School placed first in the Patriot’s Pen essay competition at the District level and advanced on to the State level of competition, where her entry did not secure further advancement. Waukon Middle School seventh grader Reegan Benzing placed second in this year’s District level of competition. Those two District-placewinning essays, along with the other first-place essays from the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy local level of competition, are printed on this page and on the next page.
Entries from 63 third through fifth grade students were received for the VFW Auxiliary Elementary School Essay Contest from students at St. Patrick Elementary School and East Elementary School in Waukon. Mrs. Samantha Thornton is principal at East Elementary School and Mrs. Katie Fahey is principal at St. Patrick Elementary School.
Third graders wrote on the topic “I Love America Because…”, and this year’s top entries were:
First place - Mason Jones, son of Matt and Kirby Jones of Waukon. He is a student of Mrs. Sara Retallick at East Elementary School.
Second place - Ruby Welch, daughter of Mike and Carrie Welch of Waukon. Mrs. Martha Byrnes is her teacher at St. Patrick Elementary School.
Third place - Kinley Krenzke, daughter of Jamie Krenzke and Melissa Baxter of Waukon. She is a student in Mrs. Martha Byrnes’ class at St. Patrick Elementary School.
Fourth graders wrote on the topic “What is Your Favorite Patriotic Holiday and Why?”, and this year’s top entries included:
First place - Brielle Gavin, daughter of Tom and Alana Gavin of Lansing. Her teacher is Mrs. Loretta Schafer at St. Patrick Elementary School.
Second place - Rozlyn Kruger, daughter of Brady and Brookelyn Kruger of Waukon. Mrs. Dani Bucknell is her teacher at East Elementary School.
Third place - Sawyer Troendle, daughter of Jason and Brooke Troendle of Waukon. Her teacher is Mrs. Loretta Schafer at St. Patrick Elementary School.
Fifth graders wrote on the topic “I’m Proud to be an American Because...”, and this year’s top entries included:
First place - Brielle Kruger, daughter of Brady and Brookelyn Kruger of Waukon. Mrs. Connie Nagel and Mr. Cody Snitker are her teachers at East Elementary School.
Second place - Petra Quiroz, daughter of Shelly Baumgartner and Vicente Quiroz Rodriguez of Waukon. Mrs. Sandy Riese is her teacher at St. Patrick Elementary School.
Third place - Ada Iverson, daughter of Kyle and Erin Iverson of Dorchester. Mrs. Connie Nagel and Mr. Cody Snitker are her teachers at East Elementary School.
Awards were also presented on behalf of the VFW Post for Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy essay contest winners. The Patriot’s Pen essays addressed the question “How Can I Be A Good American?” and entries came from St. Patrick School and Waukon Middle School. The Voice of Democracy essays were authored by Waukon High School students and focused on the question of “America: Where do we go from here?”.
Patriot’s Pen winners from St. Patrick School sixth grade included: First place - Hailey Miller, Second place - Dane Burns, and Third place - Kaden Mitchell. They are students of Ms. Theresa Ellenz and Mrs. Dacia Sommer at St. Patrick School, where Mrs. Katie Fahey is principal.
Patriot’s Pen winners from Waukon Middle School sixth grade under the direction of Mrs. Tess Hawes included: First place - Allia Ericson, Second place - Mariesa Gibbs, and Third place - Adrick Christensen. Patriot’s Pen winners from Waukon Middle School seventh grade under the direction of Mrs. Tess Hawes included: First place - Reegan Benzing, Second place - Trinity Protsman, and Third place - Tate Ellingson. Patriot’s Pen winners from Waukon Middle School eighth grade under the direction of Mr. Ben Lange included: First place - Johnathon Marti, Second place - Connor Stilwell, and Third place - Issac Johanningmeier. Mr. Luke Steege is the principal at Waukon Middle School.
Waukon High School Voice of Democracy winners under the direction of Mrs. Louise Wild included: First place - Azlynn Cota, Second place - Jackson Perkins, and Third place - Emma Palmer. Ms. Jennifer Garin is the Waukon High School Principal.
Read the first-place winning essays in the Wednesday, January 26, 2022 edition of The Standard. Pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.
