An eighth-grader from Manor Middle School, Eileen Peachey, has won a scholarship award in the Patriot’s Pen essay contest.
The annual essay contest is run through the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). It encourages young minds to explore America’s history and modern society by writing an essay based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief.
This year’s theme was, “How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for our Country?”
This topic is important to Eileen as both her mom and grandfather served in the Army and were deployed to Iraq during the Global War on Terrorism. Her mom is a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Penn Manor School District and served in the Army for five years. Eileen’s grandfather served in for 26 years.
“Eileen’s initiative in participating and her excellent writing skills communicated her dedication to the theme, earning her this prestigious scholarship,” noted Dr. Murray, principal at Manor Middle School.
Dr. Murray sent the contest information to all English teachers at the school, prompting Mrs. Rock, Eileen’s teacher, to share the opportunity with her class.
“Eileen, who always goes above and beyond, came to me very excited about the contest. She wrote an amazing essay, and I proofread it with her to ensure it was perfect for the contest,” Rock said. “I am so glad she entered her piece because she is an excellent writer and it is no surprise to me that she won. I am so proud of her! Winning a large writing scholarship in eighth grade is an amazing achievement, and this is only the beginning of what Eileen will accomplish.”
Congratulations on this outstanding achievement, Eileen!