Civil War Trust Postcard and Essay Contests Showcase Student Passions for History, Preservation

Through annual contests, students creatively demonstrate why we must protect America’s hallowed ground

June 17, 2014

(Washington, D.C.) - The Civil War Trust, the nation's largest nonprofit dedicated to preserving America's hallowed ground, has announced the winners of the 2014 Essay & Postcard Contest, co-sponsored by History™.

"Year after year, this contest showcases the best that history students across the nation have to offer," Trust president James Lighthizer said. "Their entries show a keen comprehension of why preserving our nation's past is the key to defining its future. The next generation of historians and preservationists is already making its presence felt."

This year's annual contest invited elementary, middle and high school students to submit an essay or design a postcard addressing the theme, "Preserving 150 Years of History: Life at War," exploring both the hardship and adventure of solider life during the Civil War. The winning entries conveyed the importance of preserving the hallowed ground that offers tangible links to the ways in which the war shaped soldiers' abstract ideals into practical objectives and personal experiences.

Student essays and postcard designs were judged in two age-specific divisions. Winners in each category received a cash prize, provided by History™, and a complimentary membership to the Civil War Trust.

The winners of the 2014 Civil War Essay Contest:

Junior Division:
First Place - Trinity Klomparens, 6th grade, Homeschool, Arlington, Wash., Teacher: Amy Klomparens; Second Place - Noah Peck, 5th grade, Fairview Elementary School, Auburn, Maine, Teacher: Joan Simard; Third Place - Luke Josephson, 5th grade, Park Avenue Elementary, Auburn, Maine, Teacher: Carolyn Dupree; Honorable Mention - Kye Tucker, 7th grade, HomeLife Academy, Eads, Tenn., Teacher: Dana Tucker.

Senior Division:
First Place - Cathy Hu, 11th grade, Manhasset High School, Manhasset, N.Y., Teacher: Marcia Untracht; Second Place - Cassandra Lewis, 12th grade, Mifflinburg Area Senior High School, Mifflinburg, Pa., Teacher: Beth Faunce; Third Place - Isabella Penola, 11th grade, Homeschool, Zionsville, Ind., Teacher: Lora Penola; Honorable Mention - Brent Lawrence, 11th grade, Calvert Hall College High School, Baltimore, Md., Teacher: Louis Miserendino.

The winners of the 2014 Civil War Postcard Design Contest:

Junior Division:
First Place - Armelle Duston, 6th grade, P.L. Dunbar Middle School for Innovation, Lynchburg, Va., Teacher: Brittany Clark-Slaughter; Second Place - Kaitlyn Matthews, 6th grade, P.L. Dunbar Middle School for Innovation, Lynchburg, Va., Teacher: Brittany Clark-Slaughter; Third Place - Jillian Brown, 6th grade, P.L. Dunbar Middle School for Innovation, Lynchburg, Va., Teacher: Brittany Clark-Slaughter; Honorable Mention - Hannah LeSueur, 6th grade, P.L. Dunbar Middle School for Innovation, Lynchburg, Va., Teacher: Brittany Clark-Slaughter.

Senior Division:
First Place - Sarah Heinrich, 8th grade, Circle Christian School, Winter Park, Fla., Teacher: Bryna Cannon; Second Place - Julie Anna Markar, 8th grade, East Forsyth Middle School, Kernersville, N.C., Teacher: Karen Slepp; Third Place: Laruen Manolovich, 8th grade, East Forsyth Middle School, Kernersville, N.C., Teacher: Karen Slepp; Honorable Mention - Sydney Ton, 8th grade, New Avenue School, Monterey Park, Calif., Teacher: KellyAnn Romanych.

The Civil War Trust is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation's endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds. To date, it has preserved more than 38,500 acres of battlefield land in 20 states. Learn more at www.civilwar.org, the home of the Civil War sesquicentennial.