Mathew Zitek, seventh grader at St. John the Baptist Catholic School, received the Patriot’s Pen Award from Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2543 for his essay entry in the 2018 Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest. This year’s theme was “America’s Gift to My Generation.”
Zitek’s essay focused on his views about the first three amendments.The VFW Post 2543 in Plattsmouth recently honored Zitek for his winning-essay during an awards ceremony held at the VFW. Zitek’s essay will advance to the the District 10 Competition.
Each year St. John’s seventh and eighth grade students participate in the Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest, sponsored by the VFW. More than 125,000 students in grades 6-8 enter the national competition, every year which challenges youth to examine America’s history through their own experiences. Contestants are required to submit a 300-400 word essay on a given theme.