A seventh-grader at Harrisburg Academy won first prize in the 2020 American Freedom Essay contest.
Liliana Hathaway wrote an essay on the freedom to vote to earn top honors in the middle school category. The competition, sponsored by the Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia, honors Constitution Day by challenging educators to have their students write a 100- to 300-word essay on the importance of freedom in their lives.
The win earned Hathaway and her class a free field trip to Philadelphia, led by the Constitutional Walking Tour, but it’s not certain yet if the group will be able to do the tour in person due to COVID-19 concerns.
“It is such an honor to have my essay selected as the winner in the American Freedom Essay contest,” Hathaway said. “American history is one of my favorite subjects at the academy. In a presidential election year, I especially enjoyed researching and exploring the topic of voting. The experience of writing about our country’s freedom to vote made me even prouder to be an American citizen and to look forward to the day when I can register to vote and let my vote be my voice in our government.”
“I am thrilled and proud that the American Freedom Essay Contest judges selected Liliana’s essay as the winner of the 2020 competition. And I am so excited for her and her American History classmates to enjoy a field trip to Philadelphia, courtesy of the Constitutional Walking Tour,” said Lindsay Bowman, Harrisburg Academy Middle School history teacher. “Our country’s rich history really comes alive for students when they are immersed in the places where events took place that shaped America. Whether we travel in-person or virtually this spring, I have no doubt our students will learn a great deal about Philadelphia’s prominent role in American history from the expert guides at the Constitutional Walking Tour.”
