Pictured here with her proud family, Hannah Matalone, a junior at West Seattle High School, recently won the $300 First Prize in the Seattle/Vashon Island post, District 2, of Veterans of Foreign Wars annual essay contest on the theme, “Does America Still Have Heroes.” Quoting Ms.Matalone’s essay, “Heroes do still exist in America. They come in different shapes and sizes but all have one common mission, one fight. Whether they come in the form of a social studies teacher, a student, or a U.S. Veteran, these unsung heroes are people who strive to make our nation better every day.”

The Seattle/Vashon Island post’s contest is preliminary to a VFW competition whose national grand prize is a college scholarship.