The Shadow
COVINGTON, Va. (VR) – On Sunday, February 2, Curtis A. Smith VFW Post 1033 and auxiliary held its annual awards ceremony to honor local students and teachers who participated in our national VFW programs.
Paul Linkenhoker, VFW Post 1033 Chaplain, was master of ceremonies. The program began with the introduction of Marian Paxton, Auxiliary President, who presented certificates to the three recent Patriot’s Pen winners from our area. The theme for the 2024-2025 essay was “My Voice in America’s Democracy.”
The winners were:
1st place – Solara Kern – Solara is an 8th grade student at Covington Middle School. Solara also won first place in the district. Congratulations Solara.
2nd place – Keith Eddy – Keith is a 6th grade student at Boys Home School.
3rd place – Levi Karenbauer – Levi is a 7th grade student at Boys Home School.
Paul Linkenhoker, Post 1033 Chaplain, presented the Voice of Democracy essay and speech contest sponsored by the National Association of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. This program is open to students in grades 9-12 and could award $1,000 in scholarship money. Essays are entered through the local posts and advanced to the district, state, and eventually national levels.
Post 1033 annually selects a post winner and advances it to the district. We have had winners at the district level. The topic for 2024-2025 Voice of Democracy was, “Is America Today Our Forefather’s Vision?” One must first make a determination of the vision of our forefathers. After writing the essay, students must record it as a 3–5-minute speech. This year’s Post 1033 winners were:
3rd Place – Isaac Snyder, 10th grade Boys Home School
2nd Place – Elijah Halterman, 10th grade Alleghany High School
1st Place – James Conner, Senior Alleghany High School. James Conner presented his speech to the audience.
Citizen Educator of the Year:
The Citizen Educator is open to teachers of all grade levels who seek to inspire in their students the principles of citizenship, honor, respect and patriotism. The Post 1033 Citizen Educator advances to the district level for judging. District winners advance to the Department of Virginia to be judged as state-level winners. In the past, two Post 1033 teachers were selected at the state level; Janice Halsey, kindergarten teacher at Edgemont Primary School, and Cynthia Arthur, 7th grade teacher at Jeter-Watson Intermediate School.
This year’s honorees:
Louis Sarrat – Boys Home School: He had a 20-year career in the Navy Construction Battalion – the Seabees. He is a master mason and taught carpentry at the Norfolk Technical Center. At Boys Home, he teaches construction trades while modeling the principles of good citizenship to his students. Thank you for your service to our country.
Allison Fox – Callaghan Elementary School: Graduate of Alleghany High School, Mountain Gateway Community College, and Radford University. She teaches 4th grade reading and social studies. Allison uses hands on learning experiences and field trips to Jamestown and other historic locations. She promotes citizenship through community outreach. She writes thank you cards to veterans.
Tracy Miller – Jeter-Watson Elementary School: Graduate of Covington High School and Virginia Tech where she was on a basketball scholarship. As a P.E. Teacher, she models good citizenship in every facet of her involvement with young people. She makes all children feel important. She is active in special school events on Veterans Day, Black History Month and the Black Student Alliance Club. She is also active in a number of community activities.
Krista Craft – Sharon Elementary School: Krista is a 2nd grade teacher at Sharon and tailors her instruction to meet the diverse needs of her students, ensuring that each is successful. She strives to ensure that her students not only succeed academically but also develop as empathetic and responsible individuals.
Christina Fields – Covington Middle School: Christina teaches civics and language arts. She is a graduate of West Virginia State College and has a master’s degree from the University of Virginia. She is a 29-year veteran and encourages students to be responsible citizens while understanding the history and government of our state and nation. Thank you for your service to our country.
Samuel Morse – Alleghany High School: Samuel has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Liberty University. He teaches government and psychology. His government classes emphasize the importance of civic responsibility and active community involvement. He engages students with interactive discussions and hands-on activities.
Sydney Hepler – Mountain View Elementary. VFW Post 1033 and District 6 Citizenship Educator of the Year. Sydney is a graduate of Alleghany High School, Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, and Radford University. She teaches 2nd grade and teaches each student as a valued individual. She creates a warm atmosphere in her class. She believes that a student “confident in themselves creates a good citizen”. In January 2024, she was honored by the news station WSLS with the Education Impact Award Congratulations Sydney.
Left to right: Paul Linkenhoker, Elijah Halterman, James Conner, Bill Atherholt – VFW Post 1033 Quartermaster. Not pictured Issac Snyder
(Marian Paxton photo)
Left to right: Paul Linkenhoker, Pearl Miller (representing daughter Tracy), Louis Sarrat, Allison Fox, Samuel More, Sydney Hepler, Bill Atherholt – VFW Post 1033 Quartermaster (Marian Paxton photo)
