Catherine Bevens places third nationally in essay contest

Catherine won $1250 and a trip to DC...

The other day, proud mom Barbara told me Catherine had placed high in an essay contest, winning a cash prize and a trip to Washington, D.C., along with ace FHHS social studies teacher Greg Sawyer – wow! Way to go Catherine! Here’s the rest of the story, from Sonia Blumstein at the essay contest:

ARLINGTON, VA – A Friday Harbor high school student has been named a top prize winner in a national essay contest that drew more than 31,000 entries.

As a participant in the Pacific region, Catherine Bevens of Friday Harbor High School was awarded Third Place and $1,250 in the Being an American Essay Contest sponsored by the Bill of Rights Institute, a nonprofit educational organization based in northern Virginia near Washington, D.C. Bevens’ sponsoring teacher, Greg Sawyer, received a matching cash prize.

In addition to the cash prizes, Bevens and Sawyer also won all-expense paid trips to the nation’s capital, where they were honored on March 31 at an awards gala featuring a keynote address by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas The D.C. trip also included a reception with federal legislators, visits to the National Archives, Supreme Court, and with Pro Football Hall of Fame Cornerback Darrell Green, who served as Chair of President George W. Bush’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

Also attending the gala were former U.S. Secretaries of Education Richard W. Riley and Roderick “Rod” Paige, among other dignitaries.

“At a time when many Americans are focusing on our differences, more than 31,000 students demonstrated that we can unite behind the Constitution and the principles we share as Americans,” said Bill of Rights Institute President Victoria Hughes. “Having so many young people join in this important discussion about the Founding of America and the meaning of American citizenship should reaffirm our faith in the Founders’ vision and give us reason to be optimistic about the future.”

The contest is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation and sponsored by the History Channel; State Farm Insurance; Jack Miller Family Foundation; McGuire Woods, LLP; and the Stuart Family Foundation, and began in the 2006-2007 school year. The current school year was the first to include every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. To date, nearly 50,000 students have participated and more than $300,000 has been awarded to teachers and students.

To participate, students were asked to share their thoughts on American citizenship by answering the following question: “What civic value do you believe is most essential to being an American?”

In her winning essay, Bevens, who selected “initiative” as the civic value topic of her essay and thought Elizabeth Cady Stanton most embodied the American character, wrote, “Leadership in making decisions and taking initiative is crucial to living one’s own life, and promoting the civil rights and values given to us as American citizens.”

“We are proud to honor these student essayists and their teachers, who work tirelessly in the classroom to provide the students with a greater understanding and appreciation for the rights and responsibilities of American citizenship,” Hughes said.

More information on the Being an American Essay Contest can be found at www.BeingAnAmerican.org.

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