Daughters of American Revolution names American History essay award winners

Staff reports
·2 min read
The Joseph McDowell Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution American History essay award winners were announced on Jan. 13 at Champion Hills Club. From left to right are Aislean Esquivel (eight grade) Classical Scholars, Alivia Chen (seventh grade) Hendersonville Middle School, Scotty Keplinger (fifth grade) Bruce Drysdale Elementary School and Laura Lee Jordan, Joseph McDowell Chapter American History Essay Chair.
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HENDERSONVILLE - The Joseph McDowell Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution presented three American History awards during the Jan. 12 meeting at Champion Hills Clubhouse.

Each student received a bronze medal, a $25 check and a certificate for their winning essay. The students also received a signed map of Western North Carolina by internationally-recognized cartographer, Jim Mitchum, according to a DAR news release.

The winners were Scotty Keplinger (fifth grade) from Bruce Drysdale, Alivia Chen (seventh grade) from Hendersonville Middle School, and Aislean L. Esquivel (eighth grade) from Classical Scholars.

The topic for this contest was “Delegate to Second Continental Congress.” The winners had to research the colonies, discover the delegates of their chosen colony and learn the issues of the day. Each student chose a delegate and wrote an engaging narrative essay in first person, the release said.

Keplinger wrote his essay as a younger George Washington, serving as a delegate at the Second Continental Congress.

"George is secretly glad to have bested a rival for the position, John Hancock. Scotty shows the feisty side of our Commander in Chief," DAR judges said in the release.

Chen spoke as a husband writing a letter home to his wife where he comments on his feelings and pleasure in signing the Declaration of Independence and approving George Washington as head of the Continental Army. Her delegate is a quiet person, but a leader behind the scenes, judges said.

Esquivel speaks as delegate Joseph Hewes, who was conflicted on voting for remaining loyal to the King or fighting for independence. He carefully examines the facts and takes the side of independence, and dedicates himself so completely that his health fails, judges said in the release.

For more than 80 years the Joseph McDowell Chapter has sponsored the American History Essay Contest for students in grades 5-8 in Henderson County.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Local DAR names American History essay award winners