SIS students sweep VFW audio-essay, essay contest

This year’s Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen contest winners share a photo holding up certificates of recognition during a ceremony last Friday at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3457’s main location in Garapan. First and second from right is VFW Post 3457 commander Joe McDoulett and Saipan International School teacher and “VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Post Recognition Award” recipient Kimberlee R. Church. (JOSHUA SANTOS)

Saipan International School students swept this year’s Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3457.

VFW Post 3457 announced last Friday this year’s VOD and Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest winners, with Jesus T. Sablan, Serin Chung, and Stephanie Kim being named the VOD winners. Patriot’s Pen winners are Brendan DeRocher, Jason Yu, and Moshe Sikkel.

Hopwood Middle School teacher Dr. Riya Nathrani and SIS high school teacher Kimberlee R. Church were awarded the “VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Post Recognition Award last Friday as well. The award recognizes middle and high school teachers who promote citizenship education in their classrooms and schools.

SIS junior and two-time essay contest winner Jesus T. Sablan described the essay as a great opportunity and that participating gave him confidence in his writing.

“This award is such a great honor. …This is my second year and I’m so humbled for the opportunity for me to learn and grow through this competition. This competition has given me so much confidence in my writing and has given me so much confidence in my future work, and I will next year compete in the VFW competition again because this is such an amazing opportunity,” said Sablan in an interview Friday.

Nathrani said she was grateful to have received the award and briefly explained some of her efforts in the classroom that earned her the award. “I’m very grateful, but also I’m glad that the VFW is honoring the work of teachers, and I know this award [is] to commemorate citizenship in the classroom and in our schools,” said Nathrani.

In her classroom, Nathrani always encourages her students to be good people. In her computer literacy lessons, she also teaches her students digital citizenship and the importance of being respectful to others online.

“These are the lessons I hope that every person will learn and every teacher will instill in their students, because we do need [kinder] human beings in the world. So I think this is definitely a way for me to be honored in that respect, and I look forward to doing more work to help our students achieve their own dreams in their own ways,” Nathrani added.

Church said she was proud of the students that participated and were recognized. Speaking briefly about her award, she said she was pleasantly surprised to have gotten it and that the award and the contests bring recognition to the importance of civil behavior.

“I am so proud of our students. Every year we participate, and every year we have kids that are recognized, but this year was special in that so many of our kids were recognized, and there was such a diverse group of them,” she said.

According to the VFW website, the Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students across the nation “the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay.” VFW said that nearly 65,000 high schoolers in the U.S. submit their essays every year in hopes of earning their share of over $2 million in scholarship funds and other incentives awarded through the program. This year’s VOD theme was, “America: Where Do We Go From Here?”

The Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest is another contest hosted by VFW posts for sixth to eighth-grade students nationwide. VFW said that every year, around 165,000 middle schoolers submit their essays in hopes of earning their share of more than $1.4 million in state and national awards. This year’s theme that entrants had to write a 400-500 word essay on the topic: “How Can I Be a Good American?”