Trenton student runner-up in Voice of Democracy essay contest

DAVE GORGON

An eighth-grader at Boyd Arthurs Middle School in Trenton won $200 and a trophy during the Veterans of Foreign Wars annual Patriots Pen essay-writing competition.

Amelia Doshoian, 13, finished runner-up in the VFW Fourth District contest and was presented her awards during the annual awards banquet on January 7 at the VFW Post in Southgate.

The 76 th annual competition encouraged middle school students to compete for prizes by writing essays. This year’s topic was “My Pledge to Our Veterans.”

Amelia is the daughter of Aaron Doshoian and Kristin Culpepper and the stepdaughter of Chris Culpepper. Her essay was sponsored by VFW Post 4422 in Taylor, where her grandmother Stephanie Krueger has been a long-time member of the VFW Auxiliary and was recently the state president of the organization.

There are two annual VFW competitions: the Patriots Pen essaywriting contest for middle school students and the Voice of Democracy speech contest for high school students.

John Fleming, chair of the Fourth District Voice of Democracy, said 17 posts in Wayne County sponsored speeches and 14 posts sponsored essays.

Amelia and other Trenton students received the Patriots Pen as a writing assignment.

The top essays at schools are presented for judging at VFW posts and then to the Fourth District level. At the district, or county, level, Amelia finished second to Sydney Christie, a seventh-grader at Inter-City Baptist School in Allen Park, whose essay was sponsored by VFW Post 2233 in Southgate. Sydney received $300. Third-place finisher Joshua Berwald of Grosse Ile Middle School received $100.

In her essay, Amelia vows to thank veterans for their sacrifices “through volunteering, good deeds, random acts of kindness or living a life of service to others.”

“My pledge to our veterans begins with promising to never take for granted the freedoms I have,” the essay says. “I think about my family members who have served and I am in awe of their bravery. I think of a family friend who is a single mom who served and I am\ inspired. The idea that people leave their families behind to serve our country is hard to imagine. Some pay with the ultimate sacrifice and that makes me both proud and sad. I hope when I grow up, I can be that brave.

“What can I do to honor and support our veterans? I can volunteer at the VFW like my family has done for generations when that opportunity comes, paying back in different ways to appreciate what they have given to me. I can treat all veterans with respect when I come in contact with them. I can live my life in a way that is inspirational, a manner that is respected and a manner that is honoring those who fought and died for me and my freedom… the freedom that allows me to be me.”

Kristen Culpepper said her daughter wrote the essay “from the heart.” She said Amelia “is a normal kid who likes to hang out with friends.” She also plays volleyball, is a cheerleader and has been a student of the month at her school. She is hoping to become a nurse someday.

Amelia’s classmate, Evan Beck, also represented Arthurs Middle School in the district competition of the Patriots Pen. He was sponsored by VFW Post 1888 in Trenton.