The General William Maxwell Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the Revolution recently celebrated the achievements of area students who participated in the NSDAR American History and Christopher Columbus Essay Contests and the NSDAR Good Citizens Awards program. The students were honored at an awards ceremony and reception at the Warren County Library in Belvidere.

The annual contest rewards first-place winners with a monetary award, a medal, and a certificate. Each winner was asked to read a portion of their winning essays before a gathering of family members, teachers, DAR members, and school administrators.

Warren county sixth-grader Avery Griffin, who attends Blairstown Elementary School, was among the first-place winners of the American History essay contest.

Several Warren County residents were also honored with the Good Citizen Award, for those students who exhibit outstanding dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism. Good Citizens winners were Anna Newen, Hackettstown High School, Matt Bronico, Belvidere High School, Celeste Keating, Warren County Technical School, and Zachary J. Simpson, North Warren Regional High School.

Additional winners of the American History essay contest include Erin Meehan, Long Valley Middle School (Grade 7), and Will Keiser, Califon Elementary School (Grade 8). The first-place winner for the Christopher Columbus contest was Isabella D’Lizia, from West Morris Central High School.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War.