The VFW is proud to support youth across our community through two national scholarship programs that encourage students to reflect on patriotism, service, and their role in our country’s future.

 Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest

This contest is open to middle school students (grades 5-8) and asks students to write a 300–400 word essay based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW each year. It encourages young Americans to explore what patriotism means and how they can support and serve their country. Prizes presented by Corder VFW Post 4288 for this contest were: 1st – $150, 2nd – $125, and 3rd – $100.

 Voice of Democracy Scholarship Program

Open to high school students (grades 9–12), this program asks students to write and record a 3–5 minute audio essay expressing their views on democracy and patriotism. It is the VFW’s premier scholarship program and awards millions of dollars in scholarships each year. Prizes presented by Corder VFW for this contest were: 1st – $200, 2nd $175, and 3rd $150.

 Winners from Corder VFW are: Patriots Pen – 1st place Destiny Panani Kila Jay, 2nd place Bethany Ford, 3rd place (tie) Braylee Rasa, 3rd place (tie) Annabelle Hansuld. Voice of Democracy – 1st place Addison Frerking, 2nd place Leah Frerking, 3rd place Kiley Jack-Jenkins.

The Corder VFW is incredibly proud of the students who participated and represented our community so well. Your thoughtful words and dedication to patriotism help keep the spirit of America strong.

1st Place

“Patriotism” by Destini Puanani Kilia Jay

Patriotism is more than waving ~ flag or singing the national anthem. Real patriotism is about showing love and loyalty to one.’s country by working to make it better. It means caring enough about our nation to educate its children, provide for its poor, and ensure a safe and healthy environment for everyone. Patriotism is about creating fairness and opportunity so that the entire nation can thrive. One of the most important ways to demonstrate patriotism is by participating in civic life and taking responsibility as a citizen.

I show patriotism by helping people in my community, especially the elderly. I help them by cooking meals, cleaning, doing laundry, and even helping them with gardening when they need it. Small acts of kindness can make a big difference in people’s lives, and helping others makes our country stronger. I also pick up trash around my community to keep the environment clean. Caring for where we live shows pride in our country. Every weekday at school, we say the Pledge of Allegiance, and when I say the pledge, I place my right hand on my heart to show sincerity and respect for my country.

At our annual county fair, I visit the veterans’ booth and thank them for serving our nation. Veterans sacrificed their time, safety, and sometimes even their lives to protect our freedoms. Honoring them is a powerful form of patriotism because it shows gratitude for the people who defend our rights.

Another way citizens show patriotism js by voting in elections, serving on juries, or volunteering in the community. These actions give people a voice in the direction of our country and help maintain the freedoms that many have fought to protect. Patriotism can also be shown through national traditions, such as flying the American flag, singing the national anthem, and celebrating important holidays like Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. However, patriotism goes deeper than celebrations or ceremonies. It also means staying informed about our nation’s history and understanding current events.

Patriotism can be taught by example. Adults have the responsibility to mentor children by practicing respect, responsibility, and civic engagement in their daily lives. When children see adults voting, volunteering, or helping neighbors in need, they learn that patriotism is active, not passive. Another powerful form of patriotism is prayer or reflection for one’s country. Many people pray for leaders, communities, and future generations, especially during difficult times.

In conclusion, patriotism is not just about symbols or words it is about action. True patriotism strengthens communities, brings people together, and inspires citizens to make their country better each day.

2nd place

“What is Patriotism” by Bethany Ford

What is patriotism? Patriotism is often defined as love, pride, and devotion to your county and your willingness to serve it. What are some ways you can practice patriotism? Some ways you can practice patriotism is by supporting your community, honoring your veterans, and participating in civic duties. I love to support my community in every way possible. Some ways are by donating food to the food bank, going to local events, helping support small local businesses, and showing respect to our veterans. One of the events I attend is the country fair where small businesses come from all over and can sell their merchandise.

I support veterans in every way I can. One way is on the 4th of July my family buys our fireworks from the VFW. At school we hold a Veterans Day Chapel and sing the national anthem. One of my favorite things we did in 3rd-4th grade is we made hand made cards for the veterans inviting them to come to our chapel. I also believe that everyone should respect veterans’ because they have done so much for this country, and they deserve every bit of respect that we have. I can’t even imagine what they have gone through, and for that I am so grateful for the veterans that serve our country, and allowed us to live the life we have.

What are civic duties? Civic duties are things that adults eighteen years old or more have to do such as obeying laws, serving on a jury, paying taxes, voting, and so much more. Some laws US citizens have to follow are not speeding, not stealing, not murdering, and so many more. Serving on a jury gives people a trial for their crime. Every year as an adult you have to pay taxes on the things you own. One thing I am looking forward to is serving on a jury.

In conclusion, I would like to state that we as a country are so lucky to have veterans that have risked their lives for this country’s values. I am so thankful for the veterans and everything they have done for us. In 2026 we. will celebrate 250 years of being a country that is so amazing. We have come so far since 1776 when congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. I think we should all help our community in every way we can. Civic duties are important and we as children will one day have to participate in them. Thank you.

3rd place (tie)

“Patriotism Pen” by Annabelle Hansuld

Do you not know what patriotism is? It is the quality of being patriotic, devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country. Today, I will be telling you about ways that I can show patriotism, how patriotism works, and the people who need respect for showing it.

As I grow, my opportunities to do more for my country expand. For example, I can say my pledges while I complete school, help keep my community clean, and, when I’m olde~;. even vote at eighteen. I am called by God to show patriotism by doing my studies, saying my pledges, and learning about our country and the constitution.

I, as a teen, can show patriotism by:

*Going to school

*Participating in honorable events

*Showing my gratitude to those who do what i can’t

*Do my best as i grow into a young woman

*Follow my religion and share it with others so they can be saved

Patriotism works by inspiring people with a feeling of pride, love, and devotion to their country, which then goes into actions that support its goodness and values. It encourages a sense of unity and belonging among citizens and a willingness to make sacrifices for the good. Patriotism is expressed through various actions, from respecting national symbols like the flag to participating in civil duties like voting and working for social progress.

My family is full of veterans. Veterans are perfect examples of showing patriotism because they fight for our country’s freedom and safety. They love it when they are seen for their work. Based on a 2022 analysis, 11.4% of households were veteran households and 88.6% were non-veteran households. Therefore, there were fewer people who went out of their way t.o fight for their country than people who stayed at home. This is why veterans should be appreciated because it takes bravery, courage, and strength to leave your family with the thought of never seeing them again.

I personally wish that I could do more as myself but that is not possible right now. When I am older, I plan to serve my country and help my fellow people come home to their families victorious, and in one piece. That’s why I believe that it is important to respect and honor veterans. By doing this, we say “we honor your sacrifice for us.” Thank you for listening and have a good day.

3rd place (tie)

“How are you showing patriotism and support for our country?” by Braylee Rasa

I show patriotism by supporting my local veterans, learning in my social studies, and volunteering in my community. I support my local veterans by coming to the Corder Veterans of Foreign Wars dinner and breakfast they host. In social studies we learned that getting an education is part of being an active and productive member of our country. I volunteer in our community while being involved in 4-H. These are a few ways I show patriotism.

I attend the local veterans dinner and breakfast to help support them. After all, they sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Supporting our local veterans at their dinners and breakfast also means I can help them give back to our community and to other veterans. Corder’s VFW funds g<;> to youth activities and scholarships like this one, fund local community projects like helping at the park, and giving back to the Missouri Veteran’s Home.

I learned in 5th grade social studies about different countries’ governments and how they run their country. This opened my eyes to how our country is run and how grateful I am for the opportunities and the pride shown in the United States. We are very lucky that our veterans took time away from home and risked their lives to provide us the freedoms we have. I learned in social studies that other countries did not have that luxury. They do not have the same freedoms or show how proud they are of the ones who risked it all for their country. I am so glad we show our pride and patriotism in this country and that I also have the freedom to do so.

I also show patriotism by volunteering in my community. I volunteer by working the pie stand at the Corder Picnic. The pie stand can get pretty crazy. We need community members to make pies, cut pies, serve pies ,scoop ice cream, and collect money. My favorite spot to help out in the pie stand is scooping the ice cream. My 4H donates food to the food pantry. This means I have to go out in my community and ask local businesses for donations to be able to go buy non- perishable food to provide the food pantry. I also show patriotism and support for my country by flying my Ame~ican flag in the yard. This displays a sense of pride for me as I love this country.

In today’s world, showing pride and support for the United States is more important than ever. As a 7th grade student, I am proud to demonstrate my patriotism through respect, kindness, and appreciation for those who serve our country. Whether it’s standing for the national anthem, learning about our nation’s history, or finding ways to give back to my community, I believe that even small actions can make a big difference. Supporting the USA means honoring the freedoms we have and working to. make our countrY an even better place for everyone.

1st place

“How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?” by Addison Frerking

Patriotism is a way of showing love, loyalty, and support to one’s country. As I sit and consider this question, I think of ways I can demonstrate patriotism and support for my country. My mind instantly goes to serving in the military or the army, but I am not old enough to serve. Additionally, there must be some other way I am showing patriotism and support for my country. Some of the various ways I can show patriotism is through community service, being respectful during the national anthem, showing thanks to our fallen, n soldiers, and educating myself about our country’s history.

Currently, I am a member of a 4-H club. In this club, we chose to do a lot of community service. Just this last year my club built a playground in remembrance of a local resident, who tragically died in a car accident when she was nineteen years old. When I was little my club would help pick up trash on the side of the highway to keep our community clean and the environment safe. My club has also helped donate toys and canned goods to local families in need, over the past few years. I am proud to be a member of this club and strive to keep our community safe and clean and encourage others to do the same.

The United States flag is a very important symbol of our country. Not only is it a flag with red and white stripes with stars on it, but it is a flag that symbolizes our unity, freedom, and patriotism. Each color, stripe, and star has its own meaning for our country. Our national anthem tells us about the history of our country, our bravery, and our fight for independence. I am lucky enough to be born in this country where I can have all my freedoms, a good education, and food on my family’s table. The least I can do for my country is stand and put my right hand over my heart during the playing of our national anthem.

When I was younger my school would make thank you cards during Veterans Day to give to our veterans or the soldiers still serving. I never knew how much it meant to them, until one of the veterans came to my school to tell us thank you and talk about how much it meant to get one of those cards. On Veterans Day my middle school would also host a meal for the veterans or soldiers still in action. I was able to invite my uncle and grandpa and get to celebrate that special day with them. Not only did we give them thank you cards and invite them to a meal, but we would also pray for them and the fallen soldiers who were not able to make it back home to their families.

I can also demonstrate patriotism through my education. This year in my history class I am learning about the American government. Last year I was able to learn about American history. The things I had learned last year were some of the wars America went through, the Great Depression, the Industrial Revolution, and what our presidents did to help our country. The majority of these lessons I learned a lot of new things and some of them even opened my eyes to what really happened during that time. I am grateful to all who have lived before me to make this country safe and free.

Through these many things I am showing patriotism, but I wonder how I will still be able to show patriotism when I am older. Though I do not plan on serving in the military or army when I am -older I still plan to do my best to show patriotism for our country. For my future, I plan to go to college and become a veterinarian. It has been my biggest dream to help or take care of the animals in need. I know that I will still show respect during our national anthem, but how will I be able to ‘do more than just that? Some of the ways are through paying your taxes, voting, volunteering, and being a responsible citizen.

By paying taxes I can give back not only to our country, but our veterans who have served our country. Once I turn eighteen, I hope to vote in every election for the betterment of my country’s future. I hope to volunteer in charities and community service projects to make an impact on our community and encourage others to do the same. To be a responsible citizen I will follow laws, be honest ‘Yith myself and others, try my best to help and support my community and those that serve my country.

In conclusion, how can we as a country even show enough respect and honor for our veterans and those serving in the military? Hopefully I can fulfill my dream of having a good job, so I can help support those in need and give back to my community. I hope this inspires others to do the same and to remember those who gave more to our country than we can ever repay. May we live by the words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your-country can do for you — ask what you can do for your Country.”

2nd place

“How are you Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country” by Leah Frerking

I like the quote, “Patriotism is the bridge that connects our past to our future.” I feel that being a youth in my community this quote holds true, in the fact that as an active member in my school, church, and”4-H club I am connected to the older generations by being involved in volunteer activities. My school supports veterans in many ways, my favorite is when we celebrate Veterans Day by hosting a meal at our school and recognizing our lo.cal veterans for their service. Through my church and 4-H club we show our support of the community by giving to others, supporting the local food pantry, toys for tots, and fundraising to help support local improvement projects.

My favorite project was when we saved the merry-go-around, it was broken and they planned to throw it out. Many local residents could not remember a time when we didn’t have a merry-go-round, most residents believed it was over 50 years old. We hosted several fundraisers and even received a grant to help save the merry-go round. The local welding shop owner said he could fIx it and even make it safer. With a lot of hard work the merry-go-round was saved, and will now be enjoyed by generations to come. We had the merry-go-round painted blue in remembrance of the local school. Through these community projects I have met a . lot of communitY members and have learned a lot of history about where I live. You might argue the fact that these things do not support our country. I am not serving in the military, I am not paying taxes or voting in elections, how can a high school kid support our country?

Patriotism is the act of loving your country and wanting to see it succeed. Young Americans can stand for the National Anthem, fly the American flag, celebrate National holidays, respecting National Symbols like the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore, buying locally made products, and volunteering your time. These are all things young Americans can do to support our country. I look forward to the day that I can vote and become more devoted to my country. I admire the ones like my cousin who join the military to serve our country and protect us all. Many people show patriotism by working in elected public office positions. If you work in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in their hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes, their staff refer to the patients as “Veterans,” the doctors, nurses and staff say it’s a true honor to serve the veterans and give back to them by providing good medical care.

I am learning American history and government. I show support by saying the Pledge of Allegiance and honoring our flag. I am a volunteer and a hard worker. I hope to attend college, fmd a good job and continue to volunteer in my community. I am grateful for all I have, for those who have sacrificed so much, so I can have these dreams for the future and tlle freedom that has been provided for me. Our dreams for tomorrow are built on the sacrifices of yesterday. Thank you to all who have sacrificed so much to provide us with all our freedom and rights.

3rd place

“How Am I Showing Patriotism and Support For Our Country?” by Kiley Jack-Jenkins

The United States works as a unit to function. Every one of us has a role to take in the jobs that we choose. Medical staff and public service people aid us, the government keeps us safe and productive, the teachers educate our kids, and the farmers work hard to make our crops. Without an equal balance, our economy would crumble. It may not be popularized in cities, but smaller towns arc usually one big community. We all work together to get through life. It’s a beautiful cycle as those people age and then they arc replaced by the new generation. This allows for them to finally rest and relax in their retirement without worrying about money. It is very much earned by everyone who is leaving the working class but especially veterans.

One thing that I believe I can do to support the country is writing. Everyone who knows me knows that I want to be an author. I want to bring people together through my writing and educate our youth on the importance of knowing our history. Teaching the youth through kids books is the role that I want to choose. Our country is at our best when we arc unified. One . specific example of unity was the tragedy of9111. The aftermath brought people together to aid the injured and donate to the families who experienced loss. This is just one example of how the best in people can come out in the times that others need it the most.

Some other things that I plan to do in the future is voting at every election and showing up for jury duty if I’m needed. I will also always continue to volunteer to help with events within the community. I believe it’s very important to always treat police, military personnel. and every other public service servant with honor and respect. They would lay down their lives to protect us, therefore it would be a betrayal to treat them any less than with full respect. I find that it is a nice way to honor fallen veterans by hanging our country’s flags at halfway. It is also an effective way to communicate to others that a veteran has passed. It shows the support in our community and the respect for the dead. I always make sure to have my flag out in the yard for Labor Day. We celebrate every fourth of July while remembering how much it took to get where we are currently.

One educational thing that my nana and I do to honor the veterans who have fallen is walking around historical sites. I enjoy learning about the history of the war and soldiers to better understand. Specifically, we went to the two in Lexington. My nana taught me about the Battle of Lexington which is the reason that the memorials were made. Seeing how many names lined’ the walls was a wakeup call to a new perspective. Those names were real people who protected our country and all of us against the British who fired on colonial men. I went on a field trip two years ago to see the World War II museum in Kansas City, and it showed me all of the soldiers who gave their lives for the betterment of the United States. It shows their commitment to our country and it is so inspiring to me. To show my support of our country, I will always fulfill my civic duties.