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Aaron Kelley wins 1st place in state essay contest

Aaron Robert Kelley, 2013 Bucktail Area High School Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen, was the first-place state essay winner.

The DAR is dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American History and securing America’s future through better education. In the fall of 2013 Kelley was nominated by his teachers, along with six other seniors as someone who had the qualities necessary to be a DAR Good Citizen: dependability, service, leadership and patriotism to an outstanding degree.

Once nominated, the students were voted on by fellow classmates and Kelley was chosen to represent his class as the 2013 DAR Good Citizen of the Year. On March 8, Kelley and his parents Linda and Robert Kelley were guests at the Renovo DAR meeting and supper held at the Sportsman’s restaurant, where Kelley was presented with a pin, wallet recognition card and certificate.

He also will receive $25 at graduation. The first part of the contest involved personal information including his involvement in athletics, choir, band, drama, academics and community, as well as transcripts and letters of recommendation. The second part was an essay, written under the supervision of DAR Good Citizen chairperson Joy Grenell.

Kelley was given a written prompt at the beginning of a two-hour session. After winning first place in the essay contest, he advanced to the NSDAR Eastern Division Competition, where he also placed first. He is one of eight students in the country in the running for the national competition and a $5,000 scholarship.

He has been asked to read his essay at the Pennsylvania luncheon at Continental Congress in Washington, D.C., in June, where he will receive a certificate and $250 and the national winner will be named.

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