Winners of the 2017 Pennsylvania American Legion Auxiliary 82nd Americanism Essay Contest have been announced. The theme for this year's contest was "How Does Learning about Government and Our America Help You Become a Future Guardian of the Liberties of Cur Country?"

East Juniata High School social studies teacher Mrs. Nora Houser gave the themed essay as an assignment to her freshmen civics students, who had previously learned about our nation's founding documents, which proclaim our liberties. The students also had to answer the question of how they personally would protect those liberties for those to come in the future.

Winners of the competition's ninth and tenth grade category in which the class students competed were: first, Laney Swartz; second, Leah Sheaffer; and third, Bralynn Clouser. The winners each received a certificate, and $25, $15, and $10, respectively.

Essays were judged by the Auxiliary on: content, English usage, originality, neatness, and spelling. The winners were chosen bythe local sponsoring Auxiliary unit in Mifflintown, and Swartz's essay will be sent to the Council Americanism Chairman, Department Sectional Vice-Chairman and then to the Department Americanism Chairman for the final judging. Additional cash prizes will be awarded at the advanced levels of competition.

Susan Shelley, President of Mifflintown American Legion Post 298's Auxiliary Unit, and a staff member at East Juniata, presented the essay awards to EJ's winners.