Students Submit Winning Essays
Two 8th grade students, Jenna Hill and Ross Nicklos, were recently notified that their essays had been selected as winners in the "What Is An American" essay contest. The contest was open to students in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 and the essays were submitted in December to the Goodland Elks Lodge. Jenna's and Ross's essays were judged in Division II (7th and 8th grade students). Over 150 essays from students in Cheylin, Goodland, St. Francis, and Weskan schools were entered. Jenna will receive a certificate and Ross will receive a $50 saving bond at an awards assembly later in the year. Congratulations Jenna and Ross!
The essay's are below for your enjoyment.
“What is an American?”
What is an American? In the dictionary the definition of an American is a native or an inhabitant of a North American, Central American, or South American country. The definition of an American has changed majorly since our ancestors arrived many years ago. Some people are patriots and some aren’t. In the rest of this essay, I will show what Americans should be, or what they shouldn’t be.
The word American has many different meanings to many different people. This is a little about maybe what we can do to make America a better place. A is for achieving; to achieve something you need to do the right thing. By doing that people make smart choices, set goals, and achieve them.
M is for mutual respect. Americans need to be generous and confident. If you are confident, you will get farther in life than others will. Americans need to have respect. If people respect a person, they will respect them back. Treat others how you would like to be treated.
E is for earnest. An American needs to believe in him/herself. When you have an opinion, you need to believe in it. You need to be sure is the right thing to do though. You don’t need to second guess yourself.
R is for responsibility. A person needs to be trustworthy. If people are trustworthy, less people will get hurt. Americans shouldn’t lie. If you say one lie, you are more likely to say another one to cover up the first one and so on. People get hurt and brought down with lies. Another thing is to do what you are told. If you do that people respect you, and are more likely to do something for you in return. People can help a lot of other people just by doing things for them.
I is for inadequate. Americans don’t want to be that. In some people, that is a fear. You just don’t do anything you want to and disappoint people. It is better to not be inadequate.
C is for courtesy. Courtesy is treating people the correct way. Like I said before, if you treat people with respect, they will do the same for you.
A is for appreciative. Appreciative means you need to be thankful for everything and everyone around you. People should show their appreciation more because it makes people feel better. Showing appreciation shows that you care and have feelings.
N is for noble. Being noble means being a leader and not a follower. Followers are just people who are almost scared to be themselves. It is kind of tough being a leader because you set examples for other people. Having that thought, you need to make smart choices
In conclusion, after reading this I hope people have perspective on what an American is or should be. Whatever it is, it will make a difference in your life as an American.
Jenna Hill
8th Grade
St. Francis Junior High
Goodland Elks Lodge
“What is an American?”
Freedom. Honor. Respect. Liberty. Patriotism. Unalienable rights. All of these words or phrases represent the United States in some way, shape, or form. If you are an American, you have heard these words or phrases many times.
Have you ever thought about what it means to be an American? Many things represent our great country. One of those things is liberty. Our founding fathers once said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
In my mind, patriotism is another one of
these things that represent the American people. Patriotism is
respecting and honoring your country. This word comes from the word
Patriot. Patriots were soldiers (kind of) who fought for our
independence 225 years ago. The Patriots fought the British so that
not only themselves, but us, over 200 years later, could have a
better life.
Since September 11, 2001, patriotism is stronger than ever. Some
people criticize the War on Terror, but I believe it is necessary
that we, as Americans, fight back. If we do not, they will keep
attacking us for generations to come. The War on Terror must also
be fought to show that we do not back down. We stand proud and make
sure that our freedom is secure.
All in all, a true American, in my opinion, is a supporter of liberty and they are patriotic. They have respect for America. I think they also believe that every person on this earth has certain unalienable rights. An American can be from any civilization and is always trying to earn him/her a better life.
This is what an American is. What do you think?
Ross Nicklos
Eighth Grade
Saint Francis Junior High
Goodland Elks Lodge
