Americanism essay winners announced

The Montgomery American Legion Auxiliary Unit 79 sponsors an Americanism Essay

contest every year for all students in grades 3-12, including home-schooled and special needs students. The contest is divided into six different grade level classes.

Essay lengths correspond to the student’s grade level, ranging from a minimum of 150 words to a maximum of 500 words.

Essays are judged on the local level and then sent on to state for judging, then to division, and finally to national.

Twenty-five students wrote about the selected topic this year, “What does ‘America the

Beautiful’ mean to me (regarding veterans and our military)?” Below are the local winners for the contest. Each of these winners received a cash award, bookmark and certificate.

The Montgomery American Legion Auxiliary Unit 79 sends congratulates to all grade level winners and thanks all students who participated in the essay contest and for their

support of Americanism.

Local winners

Grade 3 & 4 Class

First - Santiago Zamor

Second - Cameron Barnett

Third - Khloe Rynda

Grade 5 & 6 Class

First - Jaylynn Smisek

Second - Victoria Fonseca

Third - Melah Benedict

Grade 7 & 8 Class

First - Cailyn Meadows

Grade 9 & 10 Class

First - Allison Rynda

Grade 11 & 12 Class

First - Eleanora Slida

More photos were available in the print issue. You can pick up a copy of the May 29, 2025, issue at the Montgomery Messenger office!