Each year, the entire Randolph-Macon Academy Middle School participates in the Patriot’s Pen Competition sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary. This year, the theme was “What Freedom Means to Me.”
Randolph-Macon Academy Middle School students once again won the top three prizes in the post-level competition, which was sponsored by Front Royal VFW Post 1860. Ben Kopjanski, an eighth grade student from Boston, VA, won first place and $75. Eighth grade student Jonathan Bunker of Berryville won second place and a prize of $50 in the contest. Third place honors and the $25 prize went to Autumn Thomas, a seventh grade student from Linden, VA.
The contest is open to all students in grades 6-8 enrolled in a public, private, or parochial school or homeschooling program in the U.S. and its territories. Winners at the post level go on to compete at the district level. Those winners go on to compete at the state level, and state winners go on to compete at the national level, vying for the grand prize of $5,000 or one of the other 45 prizes awarded. Over 100,000 students compete each year.