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By LAUREN HOUGH / Journal Staff Writer POSTED: January 24, 2008 Save | Print | Email | Read comments | Post a comment
Email: "Pen-ultimate winner moves on"
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Article Photos
Acadia Kandora, a seventh-grader at Charles Town Middle School, poses at school. Her essay in the
statewide VFW essay contest, ‘Patriot’s Pen,’ has been selected to compete in the national contest.
(Journal photo by Jason Turner)
CHARLES TOWN — An assignment that began as homework has propelled a local middle-schooler into a
national competition.

Acadia Kandor, a seventh-grader at Charles Town Middle School, said she thought the theme was
interesting for this year’s Patriot’s Pen essay contest, which was sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign
Wars & Ladies Auxiliary.

Likewise, judges at the local, district and statewide level found the 12-year-old’s response to the prompt
“Why I Am an American Patriot?” quite interesting — so much that they continued to advance her through
the competition.

In March, Acadia will compete against 43 other middle school students in Washington, D.C., for the national
first-place prize of a $10,000 savings bond. As a state representative, she is guaranteed to receive at least
a $1,000 savings bond, which she hopes to use for college.

“I’m pumped and excited,” she said of her upcoming trip.

Acadia first wrote her essay after her English teacher, Dana Morton, assigned it as a graded project for her
honors students.

“The essay she had to do on her own,” Morton said. “I didn’t help her at all.”

The seventh-grade students spent one day brainstorming ideas for their essays, and another day talking
about patriotism, Morton said. When the students turned in their assignments in the fall, she submitted
them all to the VFW contest.

Acadia was the first of Morton’s students to advance to the state and national level of the competition. She
and two other students who placed locally will attend a VFW dinner for contest winners on Feb. 2 in
Jefferson County.

Acadia and representatives from all 10 of the state’s VFW districts traveled to Charleston for the state
contest.

“I made some new friends,” she said.

According to information from the VFW, the essays are judged on how well the student authors understand,
develop and present the theme.

Acadia’s five-paragraph essay touched upon three main ideas surrounding the overall topic.

“I care about the environment, so I wanted to write something about that,” she said.

Personal responsibility and protecting the Constitution were also important subjects she touched on.

“It’s really important,” she said of the historical document. “It gives us all the rights we have.”

Acadia said she enjoys writing, but that her essay did took a few days to develop into a rough draft. Time
was also spent ensuring that her entry didn’t exceed the 400-word limit. After the writing process was over
and the essay was submitted, she was “surprised and happy” to learn that her entry was a winner.

Even though writing seems to be one of her strong suits, Acadia said her favorite subject is science. She
also enjoys running and is a member of her school’s track and cross country teams. Outside of school, she
participates in the Le Touche fencing club.

— Staff writer Lauren Hough can be reached at (304) 263-8931, ext. 163, or at lhough@journal-news.net