2008-2009 Winners - South Atlantic Region
The winners of the Being an American Essay Contest have been announced! The top three winners in each region were announced at the Awards Gala on March 31, 2009.
South Atlantic Region
 | First Place - Pierce Hansen Fresta Valley Christian School, Grade 11 “A person’s origin has nothing to do with the right to a fair trial or freedom from persecution. Equal justice is as much a part of America as its fields, mountains, and rivers.” |
 | Second Place - Eric Keen Hempstead Academy, Grade 9 “In fact, without ordinary Americans fighting for principles they believe in, our country would be very different than it is today. Activism is at the very core of what it means to be an American.” |
 | Third Place - Elena Kim Perry Richard Montgomery High School, Grade 11 “If our national motto of “E Pluribus Unum” – “From Many, One” – is to ring forever true, we must ensure that tolerance and respect continue to define the American way of life.” |
Honorable Mention - Joanna Guy Southern High School "Tolerance is multi-faceted; it encompasses not only the acceptance of surface traits, but also respect for the right of others to voice differing values and views. No matter how wrong one perceives another person to be, she must realize, as Voltaire, Madison, and Roger Baldwin did, that difference of opinion is vital to the functioning of a free society." |
Honorable Mention - Erin Bennett Douglas S. Freeman High School “Perseverance is perhaps the most important of all the civic values imbibed into our livelihood by our forefathers. Even today, perseverance is a quality that exemplifies the American people. No matter what is thrown our way, whether it be natural disaster or economic catastrophe, we as Americans have the strength of character and motivation to persevere.” |
Honorable Mention - Jessica Wade Newton-Conover High School “I believe one civic value that is essential to all American ideals is justice. When Americans lose sight of justice, we do not have much left to fall back on. To have a definite sense of right and wrong, to have laws that reflect those principles, and to have the courage to stand up against injustice is what has consistently and throughout history distinguished America from other nations. ” | |
Honorable Mention - James Caron Trinity Christian School “One of the civic values most central to being an American is self reliance. It truly is what sets the American people apart from the rest of the world. While the citizens of other countries may be hard working and dedicated, Americans, as a whole, are in a different class altogether.” |
Honorable Mention - Soumya Vishwanath Green Hope High School “Perseverance is an essential value, which each American is capable of pursuing. It can help individuals in their own area, and unite people as a whole. The act of persevering is exhibited in the Constitution and was displayed by Alice Paul.” |
Honorable Mention - Kimerly Stauffer West Florence High School “Everyone has goals; this much is true. Yet only a fraction of people can say that they are continual in their quests for certain successes. These people jump the hurdles that are obstructing their path, not necessarily with ease, but with a focused determination. This is all that humans can do throughout life, for nobody is perfect. The select few that realize and embrace this possess a true American principle: perseverance.” |
Honorable Mention - Chris Weil Oakton High School “To take advantage of the American Dream, industry became a crucial ingredient of success. To this day, the expectation remains that if one upholds this civic value throughout his or her life, there will always be opportunities to succeed in America.” |
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