DAR Gila Valley Chapter has announced its scholarship winners of the 2022 DAR Patriotic Essay Contest. They are, pictured from left, Brooklynn Dorr (first place), Laethan Nelson, and Carson Richins, all from Thatcher High School.
Contributed Article/Courtesy DAR Gila Valley Chapter
GRAHAM COUNTY – This fall, the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Gila Valley Chapter offered scholarships, one valued at $500 and two at $250, to local high school students dual enrolled at Eastern Arizona College. These students needed to be currently taking general education classes without financial assistance from the GIFT program or the school district.
In order to apply for the scholarships, the students had to submit a patriotic essay based on the required topic: In your opinion, what are the primary principles of the U.S. Constitution, and are those principles still relevant in today’s world? Of the eight essays submitted at the end of August, shortly after the start of school, three were judged as the first, second, and third-place winners. All three students are from Thatcher High School: Brooklyn Dorr, Laethan Nelson, and Carson Richins.
During the DAR Constitution Week program in September, the first-place winner, Brooklyn Dorr, read her essay, and highlights of the other two essays were shared with those attending the event. Below are highlights from all three essays.
Brooklynn Dorr
School: Thatcher High School Junior
Parents: Julee and Danny Dorr of Central
Excerpt from essay:
Brooklynn begins her essay by stating, “The U.S. Constitution is the longest surviving written charter of any modern national government and serves as a model and a beacon for countess countries across the world.” She goes on to mention that “it is revered by many as a timeless work, written by some of our nation’s greatest leaders. While these observations alone make the US Constitution relevant today; its greatest relevance is rooted in something much deeper! The Constitution is relevant because of its absolute, time-tested values and its uniting spirit that inspires and brings together the great people of the United State of America.”
She indicates that “while people’s interpretation of the powerful principles found within the Constitution constantly waiver, this document carries steady and universal truths and values that will never fade.” As an example, she writes that “the Constitution affirms that all have inalienable rights and through its framework, it promises no one will ‘be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.’ If a group of people chooses to believe that another group of people within the Nation shouldn’t be granted freedom, the truth of freedom’s promise steadily continues.”
Throughout her essay, she writes about other primary principles and then in conclusion states “the Constitution is a fundamental part of the United States, its principles of protecting freedom, human rights, division of powers and popular sovereignty extend well beyond the U.S. These principles are critical, freeing, relevant, essential and uniting throughout all of today’s world. The eternal truths and values outlined and protected in the Constitution are the primary reason for its extreme relevancy in this country and throughout the globe. It will forever stand as a model and conviction for freedom to all patriots who dare to unite in its promises.”
Laethan Nelson
School: Thatcher High School Junior
Parents: Camilee and Jason Nelson of Thatcher
Excerpt from essay:
Laethan starts his essay with questions about freedom. “Have you ever felt like you had no freedom; had no choice or say in what you did or were doing? Many people felt this when our country was founded and some still feel it now. Our constitution was set up to solve these important problems, provide the citizens with a way to choose, and allow them to decide for themselves. Our constitution gives us these liberties through the principles of popular sovereignty and basic individual rights.
Popular sovereignty is the principle that the government is created by the people and ruled by the people. Essentially, the people have the power to choose who will represent them. Many times this principle ensures that the government has checks put upon its power and that the people ultimately have the final say.”
For his second principle, basic human rights, he writes, “Our country was created because human rights were not being upheld. The founding fathers wanted to build this country from the ground up and started the foundation with the building blocks of basic human rights. Without these basic rights protected, our country, our lives, and our freedoms would be in utter chaos.”
In his conclusion, he writes, “In our lives today, these principles are just as important, if not more important. With all the commotion around our world and country, these principles affect us each and every day by protecting and empowering us throughout these difficult times of uncertainty and fear that is prevalent in our world today.”
Carson Richins
School: Thatcher High School Sophomore
Parents: Mary and Tyson Richins of Thatcher
Excerpt from essay:
Carson begins with the early colonists who “had been under the rule of the British government with little or no rights, power and opportunities of individuality. When the Constitution was written, the colonists made the new government in a way that seemed most beneficial and helpful for the people by implementing individual rights, equal responsibilities to all citizens, and a government with limited power.”
In his emphasis on equal responsibilities to all citizens, he writes, “All Citizens, including government leaders, have the same basic responsibilities. Everyone must obey the law and deal with the consequences of breaking the law. Without the people following these rules, the nation would be less organized and more chaotic.” Carson used paying taxes as an example. “Taxes are necessary.” He referred to the Kansas Secretary of State Office for the purpose of taxes. Those taxes provide ‘services and programs for schools, roads, police and fire protection, Medicare and national defense that would be impossible to maintain without the support of tax payments.’ “This quote explains that the government runs on the income of tax payments, from all United States citizens, including government leaders such as the president.”
He concludes his remarks about those principles being relevant today by expressing “that many things that happen in this day and age can still be applied to the original framework the founding fathers established. Despite the many challenges and situations the country has been through, the Constitution provides a guideline that our nation can use today. Things that were not considered over two hundred years ago when the Constitution was written still apply to the world today. The United States has only one constitution, and that shows that the Constitution is still applicable to this day and age.”
