(Submitted by Very Proud Mom Erica)
Molly Neal, now a sophomore at Cumberland County High School, has won a national award and prize of $1500 for her essay on “What the United States Flag Stands For”. She is named the Grand National Winner over all participating 9th-12th graders in the whole United States. Each year the Fleet Reserve Association sponsors an essay contest as part of their Americanism and Patriotism Program. The contest is open to any student in the seventh through twelfth grades whether attending public school, private school, or being homeschooled. She won at the local and regional levels, and continued on to compete nationally. Molly said she is proud of bringing Crossville into the national spotlight. Her elementary and high school learning is the foundation of her success. Molly will be presented with a certificate and plaque at the local Fleet Reserve Branch 294 for Cumberland County in August. Congratulations, Molly Neal! You can read Molly Neal’s award winning essay in the News section of this station’s website.
(Please see pictures and Molly Neal’s Award Winning essay below!)
What the United States Flag Stands For
by Molly Neal
The United States flag has various meanings to people throughout the nation and world. In general, the flag expresses freedom; the colors represent valor, purity, loyalty, and the struggle for independence. The stars portray America’s fifty states, and the stripes for the thirteen colonies. However, for me, it means so much more.
The flag symbolizes not only liberty, but opportunity, potential, and hope. It’s a force to be reckoned with, an icon that demands respect, a promise to every American citizen, no matter the age or race. It is a comfort to those who live in depression and destitution, a silent reminder of possibility and happiness. The flag also characterizes justice, equality, and privilege in the righteous government of democracy.
For many, the flag stands for a bright future. Everyone has a choice to individualize, speak their mind, be what they want to be, and practice any religion, which is more than citizens in other countries can say for themselves. The flag makes me proud, because it signifies that I live in and am faithful to America, a place with capability, liberty, and rights.
The flag is also a memorial to all of the individuals who paid the ultimate price to protect and defend the United States for their loved ones, and for the ongoing generations of Americans to have a peaceful and thriving life. It symbolizes a gratifying duty, especially to the veterans who have served it faithfully for years in the United States forces and is a leader to the future veterans enlisting every day. The flag not only accounts for all of the men, women, and children who live under its warm embrace, but also expresses love of its country, family, and freedom.
The flag is a companion to anyone who needs it, a reassurance to those in doubt, a commitment to the well-being of America, but furthermore a belief in what one thinks is right. When asked what the United States flag stands for, there are many answers; but what I think it stands for is EVERYTHING.
