Morris County seventh-grader's 19th Amendment essay takes third place in national contest

Kyle Morel, Morristown Daily Record
·2 min read

WHARTON — An Alfred C. MacKinnon Middle School student is one of nine in the country to be recognized by the National Center for State Courts for her entry in this year's Civics Education Essay Contest.

Myra Gupta, a seventh-grader, won third place among students in sixth through eighth grades. The nine winners — three each at the high school, middle school and elementary school levels — will receive $3,000 in cash prizes.

Myra was the only winner from New Jersey.

This year's essay question centered on the United States Constitution. Students were asked to write about the constitutional amendment that has made the biggest difference in people's lives.

Many contest entrants selected either the First Amendment, with its guarantee of free speech, or the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. Myra, however, cited the 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920 to give women the right to vote.

Myra Gupta, a seventh-grader from Alfred C. MacKinnon Middle School, was selected as one of nine winners of the 2022 Civics Education Essay Contest organized by the National Center for State Courts. Myra's essay discussed the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
Myra Gupta, a seventh-grader from Alfred C. MacKinnon Middle School, was selected as one of nine winners of the 2022 Civics Education Essay Contest organized by the National Center for State Courts. Myra's essay discussed the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Myra's essay, published on the NCSC website along with the other winners, noted that the amendment was about more than just granting women the right to cast a vote. The amendment gave women "greater ammunition" to advocate for their place in other roles like higher education, the workforce and politics, she wrote.

"Much work remains in the fight against systemic discrimination and for equal pay and reproductive autonomy," Myra wrote, "but the 19th Amendment marked a monumental milestone along the journey."

The annual essay contest features a topic question relating to a theme chosen by the American Bar Association to commemorate Law Day, which is held every year on May 1.

This year's theme was "Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change." Past themes have touched on issues such as voting rights, free speech and the different roles of the three branches of government.

“NCSC’s Civics Education Essay Contest is designed to encourage students to really think about the importance of our system of government and the framework on which it was founded,” said Mary C. McQueen, president of NCSC.

Students in 49 states, along with Washington, D.C., and 19 countries, participated in this year's contest.

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Wharton middle school student wins third place in NCSC contest