Jose Maria Amador DAR and Dignitaries Present Student Awards

The Jose Maria Amador Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) joined with Mayor Karla Brown from the City of Pleasanton and Mayor Melissa Hernandez from the City of Dublin to recognize Pleasanton and Dublin student winners at its annual American History Essay and Constitution Week Poster Awards ceremony. Kaylee DeLand represented Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, Representative for the 10th District of California, and Mallory De Lauro represented U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell from the U.S. House of Representatives. The office of California State Senator Steve Glazer also provided the students with a Certificate of Award.

Members of the DAR presented certificates, pins and prize money for the winners of its essay and poster contests.

The theme for the American History Essay Contest was “The Stars and Stripes Forever”. On May 14, 1897, John Philip Sousa played his new march, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” This song would become the national march of the United States on December 11, 1987. Students imagined it is 1897 as a newspaper reporter for The Philadelphia Times. They were tasked to write an article about the new song performed that day. The article was to tell about Sousa’s life and the story behind the song. Essays included thoughts about the music and how the audience reacted to what was seen and heard that day.

The DAR recognizes the best American History essay from the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades. This year’s four winners of the American History Essay Awards are:

• Ryan Ruben of Jose Maria Amador Elementary in Dublin (5th Grade)
• Nidhi Pundoor of Pleasanton Middle School in Pleasanton (6th Grade)
• Hemani Saravanan of Thomas Hart Middle School in Pleasanton (7th Grade)
• Aditi Pundoor of Pleasanton Middle School in Pleasanton (8th Grade)

The goal of the Constitution Week Poster Contest is to illustrate the spirit and/or meaning of the U.S. Constitution on an 11x17 poster board. All work must be original. The DAR recognizes the top four poster winners regardless of age. All ages are encouraged to enter. The four winners of the Constitution Week Poster Contest are:

• Anya Bhatnagar of Fallon Middle School in Dublin (1st Place)
• Sharanya Kotru of Vintage Hills Elementary School in Pleasanton (2nd Place)
• Jenny Nguyen of Fallon Middle School in Dublin (3rd Place)
• Audrey Yang of Thomas Hart Middle School in Pleasanton (4th Place)

All students now advance in the competition to District, State, Division and National levels. Two years ago the National winner of the Constitution Week Poster Contest was a student from Dublin, CA.

The ceremony was held at the Pleasant View Church of Christ in Pleasanton on Saturday February 10, 2024 at 11AM. The Young American Patriots (YAPS) Fife and Drum Corps opened the ceremony with rousing colonial music of the Revolutionary War period, including “Yankee Doodle.” DAR chapter Regent Sue de Leeuw led the award ceremony.

For information about joining DAR or entering its contests, contact Sue de Leeuw at jmadar.regent@gmail.com.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a women’s service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. Today’s DAR is dynamic and diverse, with over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and world. DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Over one million members have joined the organization since its founding in 1890.

If you are interested in learning more about DAR membership, visit josemaria.californiadar.org or contact Sue de Leeuw at jmadar.regent@gmail.com.