Six Washington Students Win Prizes In America’s Field Trip Contest
Six Washington students were recently awarded prizes in the national America’s Field Trip contest as part of America’s 250th anniversary.
Five Washington students received a first-place award of a once-in-a-lifetime field trip experience to an iconic American landmark, while one Washington student received a second-place award of $500. Nationally, 275 students received first-place awards and 275 students received second-place awards.
Washington's First-Place Awardees:
Jessie B., 14, of Sammamish, currently a 9th-grade student at Eastside High School, who was awarded a field trip to the White House and National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Kodyann L., 14, of Newport, currently a 9th-grade student at Newport High School, who was awarded a field trip to the White House and National Archives in Washington, D.C.
“Grandpa’s photo”
Verse1
Grandpa’s photo hanging on the wall
Doesn’t mean much to you, but it should, to us all
He watched his fellow soldiers fight and fall
for the gift of freedom for us all
Chorus
No fame or fortune foretold
but for freedom he was sold
For the cost of freedom is crimson red
white hot furry for those who bled
For the blue skies high above this land
and this ground which we now stand
Verse2
Our Freedom’s price can seem so unfair
For that man in the photo he chose to bare
Not chasing fame, his courage burns a flame
A yellow ribbon quietly proclaims
Bridge
Pictures speak a thousand words
Yet many stories go unheard
Their honor rises heavenward
Their sacrifice assured
For us here it is just beginning
A promise we are living
Verse 3
Two hundred fifty years have past along
Thousands of photos and heartfelt songs
Bind us to guard this costly gift
To pass on to those who will lift
The flag and carry on
(Chorus)
No fame or fortune for told
but for freedom he was sold
For the cost of freedom is crimson red
white hot furry for those who bled
For the blue skies high above this land
and this very ground in which we stand
freedom’s flag will never fade
Two hundred and fifty years of pride, and we
REMAIN…
— Kodyann L.
Rupika M., 17, of Pasco, currently an 11th-grade student at Chiwana High School, who was awarded a field trip to the National Medal of Honor Museum and George W. Bush Presidential Center and Library in Texas.
Meisha S., 18, currently a 12th grade student at Kentridge High School, who was awarded a field trip to New Orleans, La.
What does America mean to you? Well, that’s easy. Freedom. Okay, but what else? I used to think that answer was enough. Freedom was the word you learned early, the one printed in textbooks and echoed in classrooms, the one that felt big enough to cover everything, the one echoed across the songs and pledges of our nation. But the older I get, the more I realized freedom wasn’t just a word people said. It was a word people questioned, including myself. Because freedom, to me, didn’t always look like speaking up and being the loudest in the room. When I was younger, I only spoke Chinese at home. It was the language of comfort, of family dinners and quick conversations I never had to think twice about. It truly was music to my ears. But when I started school, everything changed. English became the language of belonging and fitting in with my classmates. Chinese became something quieter. Slower. Almost something I saw as embarrassing. Something I started to lose. At first, it wasn’t intentional. I would forget words. Maybe slip some English into a Chinese sentence. Mix up tones. Answer in English even when my parents spoke to me in Chinese. Over time, the language that once came so naturally began to feel foreign in my own mouth. And no one really noticed. Because from the outside, that’s what “becoming American” looked like. Speaking fluently. Fitting in. Letting go of what made you different. So, when people said America meant freedom, I wondered what that meant for me. Freedom to become someone new? Or freedom to forget who I was? For a long time, I thought it had to be one or the other. But as time went on, my perspective changed and grew. Being American isn’t just about the freedom to fit in. It’s about the freedom to hold on. To carry pieces of yourself even when the world doesn’t make space for them. It’s about choosing not to let your voice disappear, even when it gets quieter. America meant the freedom to be both versions of myself in a world that expected one. In a world that wanted me to choose between my Chinese and American side. I still stumble over my Chinese sometimes. I pause longer than I should. I search for words that used to come effortlessly. But every time I try, every time I choose to speak it anyway, it feels like reclaiming something I almost lost. And maybe that’s what American means to me now. Not just freedom in the loud, obvious sense. But freedom in the quiet moments. The choice to remember. The choice to reconnect. The choice to define yourself, even when it would be easier not to. The choice to BE yourself. Freedom isn’t about what you gain. It’s also about what you refuse to lose. Our Independence. Liberty. And justice for all.
Tillie T., 13, currently a 7th-grade student at Lynden Christian School, who was awarded a field trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Washington's Secod-Place Awardees:
Sadie E. of Spokane, currently a 6th grader at Spokane Classical Christian School, received a second-place award.
America means freedom, opportunity, and respect. I am thankful to grow up in a country where people can share their beliefs, speak their minds, and feel safe. Many ancestors came to America to escape unfair rules and gain freedoms they did not have before. In America, people can vote, run for office, and help make changes when something is wrong. Freedom of religion and speech are very important rights. America is also built on love, sacrifice, and unity. These values help make our country strong and give everyone a chance to succeed.
