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Young essayists named winners of VFW Post's contests

By expressing their love and admiration for the country in which they live, the winners of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Charles E. Swisher Post No. 1924 Voice of Democracy Essay and Patriots Pen Essay Contests were awarded scholarships at an awards dinner Nov. 21.

Sean O. Daly, Jr. won the high school contest, the Voice of Democracy Essay Contest, and Margaret M. Nasry won the middle school contest, called the Patriots Pen Essay Contest.

Daly took home a $500 scholarship check and second and third place finishers, Chiara Curnow and Ely Lindberg, took home $300 and $100 each.

Nasry won $300 and Haegan McGarry and Nicholas Rocco Barillas each took home a check for $200 and $100 respectively.

Only the top three in each contest were invited to the dinner at the post and nobody knew who won until it was announced.

Daly was thrilled to win, considering almost 200 entries were submitted.

"It's cool, I didn't think I would make it this far," he said. "I was surprised just getting in here but winning was really cool. Getting in the top three was really cool out of that many people."

Daly admitted not being very motivated to write it at first and said it took him a couple of days to write.

"My mom, mostly, forced me to write it, I was not super motivated at first," Daly said. "But I am glad she did now."

Nasry said she felt relieved having won.

"It feels really nice, I was really nervous about it," she said. "I want to be a lawyer when I grow up, I have passion for law and stuff, and it's really fun to write about America."

Each winner read their essays aloud for the audience in attendance and it left a mark on the post.

"I am almost speechless because it's so nice to see how well they've been raised and how patriotic and how much they love America they are," VFW Auxiliary President Deb Bottomly said. "It's inspiring to see that they are going to be our future."

Jeff Pack can be reached by email at [email protected].

 

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