Sequim youth earns essay award

At its annual George Washington Tea and Awards Ceremony, the Michael Trebert Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recognized outstanding citizens in Clallam County.

Receiving the DAR Medal for American History Essay award was Alyssa Ardickas Bonheyo, a fifth-grade student at Greywolf Elementary School (pictured above).

The essay contest is available to fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students in Clallam County. Christine Hill, co-chairman of the committee, said, “This is the 125th Anniversary celebration of Ellis Island. Students were to imagine immigrating to the U.S. in 1892 and write to their cousin telling of their experiences.”

Bonheyo was awarded the Outstanding History Student medal, a certificate and a $75 check from the chapter.

A surprise announcement was made at the tea that Bonheyo’s essay had won at the state level. She and her family are invited to be honored at the Washington State Society Conference in Redmond on May 2.

Hill noted that Bonheyo’s essay will now be judged at a regional level and the first-place essay will then be sent to be judged at a national level.

The national winner will be presented at the DAR Continental Congress in Washington, D.C., in July, Hill said.

Other honorees at the tea included the DAR Medal for NJROTC Cadet awarded to Cadet Lt. Dusti S. Lucas of Port Angeles High School; the DAR Conservation Award was presented to Deborah Moriarty, development director for the Feiro Marine Life Center, and two awards for DAR Community Service were awarded to Dr. Edward Hopfner and Phyllis Hopfner, founders of Volunteers in Medicine in the Olympics, veterans stand-downs in three locations and other community organizations.