- More than 60 seventh graders from Kingswood K8 School in Citrus Heights were recently acknowledged for thoughtfully considering and writing an essay exploring what they can do for their country.

For the second year, 7th grade teacher Deborah House guided her students through the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) annual Americanism essay contest. They were challenged by the Citrus Heights ALA Unit 637 to each write an essay entitled “What Can I Do for My Country?”

“Mentoring youth and promoting and recognizing patriotism and good citizenship in young people” is one of the purposes of the Americanism program, which includes the essay project.

House led her Language Arts students throughout the project, encouraging them to think about what they can do personally to help their country, now and as they get older.

On the morning of April 7th, 2016, two members of the Citrus Heights ALA Unit 637 arrived at House’s classroom. Students had been waiting for three weeks to hear the results. Americanism Program Chair Elise Spleiss, and auxiliary member and unit historian, Virginia Hicks, thanked the class for their thoughtful essays and announced the first, second, and third place winners. Nicholas Pertl was awarded first place for his essay which was read to the class.

For his work Pertl received a framed copy of his essay, a first place certificate, and a check for $50. Pertl’s essay went beyond working in his school and community to what he could do with his life to serve his country. In a thank you note to the auxiliary, Pertl showed the same “extra mile” thinking by expressing gratitude to the ALA not only for his award, but also for their work in serving veterans. He concluded his note with a paraphrased ALA mission statement: “In the Spirit of Service Not Self for Veterans, God, and Country.”

Rodrigo Cabrales won second place, with a check for $25 along with his framed essay and certificate. Yukari Ide earned 3rd place for her thoughts and received a check for $10 along with her essay and certificate.

House said of the experience in an email: “This was again a wonderful opportunity for my students to put into words how they can show their love & appreciation for their country. It started a valuable conversation in our classroom about what they can do at school, at home, in their community and beyond, even into adulthood to help others and make a difference. Many of my students are from other countries and quickly came to realize why their parents wanted to come here to help assure a better future for them.”

 

Nicholas Pertl’s essay:

 

What Can I Do for My Country?

 

What can I do for my country you ask? I can do many things. There is so much to choose from such as: work for the government, join the workforce, fight for my country, heal my country, and feed my country.

By working for my country’s government I can help people pay taxes, become an attorney, or join congress or the senate. I can work for a telecommunications company, I can become a cop or join the F.B.I or possibly C.I.A. I can become a probation officer or work for social services. Or more importantly, become President of the United States!

By joining the workforce I can work for many companies such as Target and Walmart. Many stores like Target have a school near them that they support so if I choose to work there I can support and help others with their education.

I can fight for my country and join a branch of the military such as the army where I support my brothers in war on the ground in fighting, medical support. I can join the air force and defeat my country’s enemies from the air in planes and drones. I can join the navy and protect my country from our enemies at sea and in the sea. I can join the Marines and fight the enemy in different areas of the world. I can join the coast guard and save the many people in peril along the sea and in many places of the world.

There are many other things to do but I have chosen the ones that mean the most to me.