Good Shepherd Catholic School eighth-grader Josie Althoff took second place in the nation in the 2021-2022 Patriot’s Pen essay contest, sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organization.
As one of the top winners, she received a $4,000 check.
On April 8, after her parents learned about their daughter’s achievement, Josie returned home from volleyball practice and was shocked when they delivered the exciting news.
“I did not believe them,” said Josie, 14, of Hillsboro.
Her dad, Joseph Althoff, joked about her big prize, telling her, “I’ll pay you $4,000 if you finish cleaning out the chicken house,” recounted Josie’s mother, Jennifer Althoff.
After the news sank in, Josie said she started jumping up and down.
She said she’ll save her prize money to buy a car when she’s older.
Big River VFW 5331 in Cedar Hill sponsored Josie for the contest.
Before taking a top prize in the nation, Josie’s essay had earned her first place at the state level, and then her essay went on to compete against 53 other state winners nationally. In Missouri, 5,143 students submitted essays, and 68,800 students across the country had entered.
For the state competition, VFW held a banquet earlier this year at the Crowne Plaza St. Louis Airport hotel for Patriot’s Pen winners, as well as Voice of Democracy finalists and Teacher of the Year award recipients.
“I had to get up and read (the essay),” Josie said. “I was a little nervous at first.”
VFW representatives from throughout Missouri also attended the banquet.
“They make a nice big deal about it,” Jennifer said.
In addition to the $4,000 prize Josie won, the VFW recognized her on its website.
The annual Patriot’s Pen competition is open to students in grades six through eight and asks writers to explore their national identity along with America’s history. This year’s theme posed the question, “How can I be a good American?”
In her essay, Josie referenced the ideas of peace, justice and national defense as covered in the Constitution’s Preamble.
“My brother recently graduated from boot camp,” she wrote. “He willingly signed up to serve and protect the United States. I now have a more personal feeling for what military families go through. It is a mixture of fear for them and pride for what they do.”
Josie also wrote about establishing justice. “In this search for justice, God is my guide. He wouldn’t like the way man has turned against each other. I plan to follow the Golden Rule that Jesus taught. I will treat others the way I want to be treated.”
Josie’s teacher, Rhonda Chiles, who teaches fifth through eighth grade reading, composition and history at Good Shepherd, encouraged her and other students to enter the essay contest.
Chiles said Josie is a good student.
“It has been a blessing to get to work with Josie over the course of the past three years. She is bright, hardworking, and loves to be challenged. In her writing, she thinks deeply about subjects.
“It was exciting to see her thoughts make their way all the way to the national level. Trust me, I see Josie Althoff filling the role of a good American and an extraordinary human being every day.”