Prairie Grove Student Wins National Contest

PRAIRIE GROVE — A Prairie Grove Middle School student recently represented the state of Arkansas at the opening of a new museum in New Orleans.

Roy McKenzie, an eighth- grader, earned an all- expense- paid trip to New Orleans after winning a national essay contest sponsored by the National History Day (NHD) foundation and the National WWII Museum. Fifty-one students in all, representing the states and the District of Columbia, honored WWII veterans at the opening of the new wing of the museum.

The grand opening of the United States Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center at the National World War II Museum was held Jan. 11 in New Orleans.

“I was extremely honored to be a part of the dedication ceremony representing my state and privileged to escort a WWII veteran to his seat of honor,” said McKenzie. “My essay – ‘Change through Wartime’ – focused on how Arkansas changed the social, political, and military climate of the nation during World War II. I believe it is important to highlight Arkansas’s rich history during WWII. It was a memorable experience, and I’m very glad I witnessed history in the making along with these WWII veterans who I believe are the greatest generation.”

All student essays were submitted and turned into a permanent exhibit at the museum. The students’ work can also be viewed online at http://salutetofreedom.org.

“We are very proud of Roy and his maturity throughout this experience,” said Dustin Seaton, GT coordinator and Roy’s teacher at Prairie Grove Middle School. “He wrote the essay back in August and spent the next two months researching and editing it to make our state proud. He is a remarkable student and we are very fortunate to have him in Prairie Grove.”

McKenzie