Lawnwood Elementary Students Earn Top Honors in DAR Essay Contest

Three fifth graders from Lawnwood Elementary School in Fort Pierce placed among the top finishers in the Daughters of the American Revolution Essay Contest, earning recognition through the local Cora Stickney Harper Chapter.

Laila Boykin took first place, Kevin Viamonte finished second, and Elijah Yingling placed third. All three are students in Mrs. Collins' accelerated fifth-grade class, which participated as a group in the annual competition.

This year's prompt — "Lunch with a Signer" — asked students to imagine sitting down for a meal with a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The assignment required writers to work from a first-person perspective, weaving documented history into an original narrative. The task tests both research and imagination, asking 10- or 11-year-olds to inhabit a moment from 1776 and make it feel real on the page.

All students who submitted an entry received a Certificate of Participation, school officials said, recognizing their effort and commitment to the writing process.

The DAR Essay Contest is a national program with chapters sponsoring competitions at the local level. The Cora Stickney Harper Chapter serves the Treasure Coast area.

The recognition is a reminder that student achievement extends well beyond standardized test scores. For families at Lawnwood, whose students serve a community that spans some of Fort Pierce's most economically diverse neighborhoods, a national writing competition podium finish carries real weight.

Details on whether the top finishers advance to a district, state, or national round of the DAR competition were not immediately available from St. Lucie Public Schools. Parents with questions can contact Lawnwood Elementary directly through the St. Lucie County School District's main directory.

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