DAR Recognizes Good Citizens
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During their monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 5, the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) recognized local high school seniors who displayed good citizenship both inside and outside the classroom The Good Citizen Award is given to a high school senior that embodies the qualities of good citizenship from each high school within the area, such as dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism. This year, the local DAR presented the award to representatives from 5 of the 6 schools within the chapter’s region. The winners included Robert Toombs Christian Academy Senior Adrian Avila, Vidalia Heritage Academy Senior Anna Hudson Hamilton, Treutlen County High School Senior Miguel Archie, Jr., Toombs County High School Senior Amelia Richter, and Vidalia High School Senior Georgia Meredith.
These students are selected through a vote by both students and teachers at each school, and are then invited to participate in an essay competition to compete for scholarships. To be eligible for these scholarships, the students must complete a detailed application, obtain 3 written letters of recommendation, and write an essay on a selected topic within a two-hour timeframe. These essays are then judged by 3 anonymous individuals who are not in DAR, and the top-scoring essay moves on to the district competition. If the essay wins the district level competition, it will then move on to the state and potentially national competitions.
This year’s essay focused on the citizens’ responsibility to understand and protect their American Heritage, as the assignment’s prompt stated, “Service is an essential attribute of a good citizen. Discuss how service can foster a strong sense of community and strengthen our American identity.”
Ultimately, it was Vidalia High School Senior Georgia Meredith, who was victorious in the essay competition, as she wrote about her experience with service in the community through Hurricane Helene relief efforts last Fall. “During the hurricane, our community came together to help our city and that made us stronger in the end,” she explained. “I wrote mainly about the great community that we have here in Vidalia.”
When asked why service was an imperative part of good citizenship, Meredith remarked, “Well, I think service is important because it fosters community and helps everyone out. If we don’t have any service, then, everyone’s just on their own.”
Meredith shared that after graduation, she planned to attend the University of Georgia to pursue a degree in nutritional sciences on the pre-med track, and eventually become a physician.
Her essay will now compete at the regional level, and potentially the state and national levels for further scholarships.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, DAR Good Citizen Award Coordinator Gwen Warren and the other members of the DAR thanked the awardees and their guests for coming, and shared their excitement for the annual event.
“It is an honor and a joy to be able to celebrate these students every year,” she shared. “It is most impressive when a high school student is recognized by both peers and teachers for possessing such wonderful qualities. We applaud these students and wish them every success in their future endeavors.”
