2008-2009 First Place Winners
The first place winners in the 2008-2009 Being an American Essay Contest have been announced! The top winners, one from each of nine regions, were recognized at the Being an American Essay Contest Awards Gala Celebration on March 31, 2009 in Washington, D.C. Students also had the opportunity to hear from the keynote speaker, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
To see all of the winners from each region, please select one of the following region:
- East North Central Region
- East South Central Region
- Mid-Atlantic Region
- Mountain Region
- New England Region
- Pacific Region
- South Atlantic Region
- West North Central Region
- West South Central Region
East North Central Region - First Place
 | David Baker Grade: Junior “Without a tremendous amount of ingenuity the United States of American would not exist as we know it today. Ingenuity means trying new ways of doing things, new uses for past ideas, and developing them until you find a better way.” |
East South Central Region - First Place
 | Zach Franklin Grade: Senior “Hard work is the most influential civic value that unites America. Most Americans know that to succeed in reaching their goals, they need to work hard to reach them. Hard work not only brings about desired results, but also instills a sense of self worth and satisfaction.” |
Mid-Atlantic Region - First Place
 | Katelyn Stauffer Grade: Senior |
Mountain Region - First Place
 | Sapphire Feltner Grade: Sophomore |
New England Region - First Place
 | Rebecca Wistrom Grade: Senior “Integrity requires all citizens to know what their rights are and to defend their own rights and the rights of those around them. It takes a country of people devoted to integrity to see to it that no one is deprived of their constitutional rights.” |
Pacific Region - First Place
 | Peter Hadar Grade: Senior “As an American, I hold the value of religious tolerance very dear to my heart. America has consistently promoted freedom and opportunity; from Washington to Wilson and onward, American leaders have advocated religious tolerance.” |
South Atlantic Region - First Place
 | Pierce Hansen Grade: Junior |
West North Central Region - First Place
 | Jackson Sittenauer Grade: Junior “The idea that justice involves both equality and fairness is demonstrated on a daily basis in my life. These concepts should be practiced everywhere in America in order to better ourselves socially and morally.” |
West South Central Region - First Place
 | Angela Stevens Grade: Senior “In all things, we must have courage to stand up for what is right, initiative to start the change, and the perseverance to see it though. Our progress as a society can only continue when these values are embraced.” |
| Contest Sponsors |
All Rights Reserved.