Secretary Wyman with three of the World War II writing contest winners (from left), Sajid Amin, Remi Frederick and Elizabeth Min. (Photo courtesy Laura Mott) 

Secretary Wyman has honored four students as state champions in an essay and letter-writing contest marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The contest, sponsored by our 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. Wyman honored the winners and their families in a special ceremony at the Capitol.

“Even 70 years later, World War II has had an enormous impact on our world and older generations,” Wyman said. “This contest encourages students to explore the war and learn how it impacted their older relatives, and what the war meant to themselves. So many of the letters and essays were thoughtful and revealing. I congratulate all of the students who took part.”

This contest winners are:
• Remi Frederick, an eighth-grader at Columbia Junior High School in Federal Way. Remi’s letter is called “A Letter of Life.”
• Sajid Amin, a freshman at North Thurston High School in Lacey. Sajids’ essay is entitled “What WWII Means to Me.”
• Elizabeth Min, a sophomore at Decatur High School in Federal Way. Elizabeth’s essay is called “It Took a War to Bring My Family Together.”
• June Lin, a junior at Snohomish High School in Snohomish. June’s essay is “Six Long Years.”

Frederick, Amin and Min and their families attended an awards ceremony in Wyman’s office Wednesday. Lin was unable to attend. Each of the four champions received a certificate of appreciation and a $100 Fred Meyer gift card from Wyman.