Politics

Sentinel Patriot Club honors essay winners

Katlyn Searcy, Marissa Hill, Hannah Grady and Larry Thomas, left to right, received $10,000 in cash prizes after winning the Sentinel Patriot Essay Contest today.

By , Published: June 26, 2014

Winners of the Sentinel Patriot Essay Contest were honored by the Sentinel Patriot Club at a luncheon today at Bay Breeze Restaurant.

Forty-one students entered the essay contest and $10,000 was given to the top four winners plus an additional $900 in honorable mentions.

Hannah Grady, a junior at Wyndhaven Academy, a homeschool, was first place winner and received $5,000. Other winners were Marissa Hill, a senior at Heritage Hall International School, second place, $2,500, Larry Thomas, freshman at King Mountain Academy, a homeschool, third place, $1,500 and Katlyn Searcy, a senior at North Henderson High School, fourth place, $1,000.

The topic for the essay contest was "Why did thirteen Independent and Sovereign Nations feel compelled, in the summer of 1787, to send delegates to a Convention out of which came the Constitution of the United States, at an event that became known as "The Miracle in Philadelphia?"" Contestants had to be residents of Henderson County and in high school.

Grady, who enjoys the process of critical thinking, wrote her essay on the "Miracle in Philadelphia," or the Constitutional Convention, occurring because of a need in America for protection and financial stability.

She plans to spend part of her $5,000 prize to attend the Patrick Henry College debate camp this summer. The rest of the prize will go towards investing in real estate, which she is learning through her father, David Grady, since she is already working on her bachelors in communication.

"I love the topic we wrote about," Grady said. "It means more for me to see other teenagers my age who actually care about something like this than to even win the money."

Thomas, who was surprised he won third place since he had never entered an essay contest before, focused on the pros and cons of the Articles of Confederation. He hopes to use the $1,500 prize for college expenses. Thomas plans to major in engineering and wants to attend N.C. State like his older sisters.

Nine other Henderson County students won an honorable mention in the contest and a $100 prize: Victoria Thomas, senior at Hendersonville High School; Courtney McLean, senior at Veritas Christian Academy; Michaela Hill, senior at Heritage Hall International Academy; Hope Johnston, sophomore at West Henderson High School; Ellie Caldwell, junior at North Henderson High School; Karen Sanchez, sophomore at Hendersonville High School; Will Baldwin, freshman at North Henderson High School; Molly Thomas, senior at Hendersonville High School; Kelsey Decker, senior at Hendersonville High School.

Greg Newman, Henderson County District Attorney, was the Keynote speaker for the luncheon.

The coordinators were happy with the results of the club's first essay contest and were glad their message was reaching a younger generation.

"How do you try to keep a community constitutionally grounded?" asked Ron Kauffman, co-founder and contest chairperson for the Sentinel Patriot Club. "The answer is you reach the children."

Funding for the prizes came from private donations from citizens all over the country. Club members reached out to their family, friends and acquaintances to gather more than $10,000 in prizes.

"I'm really proud of what we did," Kauffman said. "I'm thrilled for the students. This was a really proud moment for a lot of kids."