Bainville Student Wins Patriot's Pen Award

Eleanor Iversen, an eighth-grader, honored for her winning essay

Mar. 12, 2026 at 5:03pm

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Bainville eighth-grader Eleanor Iversen has been named the winner of this year's VFW Patriot's Pen essay contest for VFW Post 4018. She was recognized at a ceremony at her school on March 2.

Why it matters

The Patriot's Pen essay contest is a national program run by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) that encourages young students to explore the meaning of patriotism and civic duty through their writing. Winning this award is an impressive accomplishment for Iversen and highlights the strong commitment to patriotic education at her school.

The details

English teacher Sarah Morales assigns the Patriot's Pen essay to all of her eighth-grade students each year, and six students from Bainville chose to enter the VFW contest this year. Iversen's essay was selected as the winner for VFW Post 4018, earning her a $200 prize.

  • The essay contest and awards ceremony took place on March 2, 2026.

The players

Eleanor Iversen

An eighth-grade student at Bainville School who won the VFW Patriot's Pen essay contest for her local VFW post.

Sarah Morales

The English teacher at Bainville School who assigns the Patriot's Pen essay to her eighth-grade students each year.

VFW Post 4018

The local Veterans of Foreign Wars post that sponsored the Patriot's Pen essay contest that Iversen won.

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What they’re saying

“I think it's a way for them to demonstrate their writing ability to think and create for a specific topic.”

— Sarah Morales, English Teacher

What’s next

Iversen's winning essay will now advance to the next level of the Patriot's Pen competition at the state level.

The takeaway

Bainville School's strong focus on patriotic education and civic engagement has paid off, with one of its students earning top honors in the prestigious VFW Patriot's Pen essay contest. This achievement highlights the importance of encouraging young people to explore the meaning of patriotism through their writing.