Four Washington students have been named state champions in an essay and letter-writing contest marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The competition, sponsored by the Office of Secretary of State’s Legacy Washington program, asked students in grades 8 through 11 to either write a letter to a veteran (living or deceased) or an essay describing what the war means to them.

This year’s winners (and the names of their letters/essays) are:
8th grade: Remi Frederick (Columbia Junior High School, Federal Way) – “A Letter of Life”
9th grade: Sajid Amin (North Thurston High School, Lacey) – “What WWII means to me”
10th grade: Elizabeth Min (Decatur High School, Federal Way) – “It took a war to bring my family together”
11th grade: June Lin (Snohomish High School, Snohomish) – “Six Long Years”

Go here to read the winning students’ pieces.

The four students, along with their teachers and families, will be invited to Secretary of State Wyman’s office on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 3:30 p.m. to receive a certificate of appreciation and a $100 gift card sponsored by Fred Meyer.

“So many of the submitted letters and essays were very thoughtful and well-written,” said Wyman, who was part of a panel of judges reviewing the entries. “Some of them were personal and moving, while others focused on the war’s enormous impact. I congratulate all of the students who took part.”

The winning essays will be posted on the Secretary of State’s website, featured in OSOS publications and appear alongside the Washington Remembers exhibit, which focuses on Washingtonians who served in the war.