East Windsor Board of Education Recognizes VFW Essay Contest Winners

Students from both Hightstown High School and Kreps Middle School were recognized at Monday’s Board of Education meeting for placing at the local and district level in the VFW’s annual essay contests.

Superintendent Edward Forsthoffer and Board of Education Vice President Kennedy Paul announced the winners and presented them with a certificate.

At the high school level students competed for the Voice of Democracy essay contest, and placed in the top three at the district level. The essay question was "Is There Pride in Serving Our Military?" 

“Never in the 23 years that Mercer County has been participating in this essay writing contest has only ONE school swept all three places at district level,” Wanda Emley, chairperson of the Voice of Democracy contest for VFW Post 5700, said in a news release. “Hightstown is known for its fearful competition throughout the state in this program.”

Winners from the high school who placed at the county level included:

• Kelsey Ramos, first place
• Jeffrey Weingast, second place
• Angela Fernando, third place

Winners from the high school who placed at the local level included:

• Ankita Naraparaju, first place
• Jeffrey Weingast, second place
• Colleen Murphy, third place 

Middle School students competed for the Patriot’s Pen essay contest, and two students places in the top three at the district level.

Winners from the middle school who placed at the county level included:

• Emily Thibault, second place
• Jessica Weingast, third place

Winners from the middle school who placed at the local level included:

• Jessica Weingast, first place
• Emily Thibault, second place
• Erin Fago, third place

“This shows the dedication the teachers and administration of the East Windsor Regional School District have toward their students. Congratulations to your students, teachers and administration for a job well done,” Emley said in the release.