“To be a patriot is to do what is best for your community and ultimately your country. There is no specific way to do this. Your service can be as simple as volunteering at a local non-profit organization or as valiant as joining the military. The possibilities are endless and the results are resounding. One simple act may even inspire another person and set into action a chain of events that will greatly develop into more and more until there are results on a massive scale. Being a Patriot means being a part of that motion that unifies people and gets jobs done.”

Western Wayne freshman Nickolas Curtis defined patriotism this way in his winning essay about what patriotism means to him.  Nickolas was recognized on June 13 by the American Legion for his Patriot essay submission.  Mr. Tim French and Mrs. Jennifer Buckman presented the award to Nickolas at the Western Wayne High School in his Honors American Cultures class taught by Mr. Tim McClure.

Nickolas’s essay was chosen from five counties and about 25 schools.  The essay prompt was “What Does Being a Patriot Mean to Me?”

Everyone in the Western Wayne community is proud of Nickolas’ accomplishments, especially his history teacher.

“Nickolas shows great potential in his studies and actions,” McClure said.  “It was wonderful to witness the amount of support shown to Nickolas by his fellow classmates during and after he received the award in class.”

Nickolas explained that he never expected to win the contest when writing the essay.

“I feel really accomplished now,” he said.  “When writing the essay, I thought about my community and how that connected to patriotism on the national level.  I believe that everyone has the ability to do something great with their lives and through helping others we show our patriotism.”

Nickolas felt truly honored to be recognized for his writing and hopes that his classmates and community members will continue to show patriotism in their daily lives.

“No matter who you are, no matter where you are, you can always do something to better your community,” Nickolas explained.

In his essay, Nickolas explained allegiance to one’s county by comparing it to a fire that he hopes will lead others to show their patriotism.

“Everyone has some patriot inside of them. Everyone has a spark of inspiration within them that can ignite a magnificent blaze of innovation. It is those who light the fire that are the patriots. They do not look over at the person next to them to see what they are doing to light their fire and think that there is only one way to light it. They look at and think that there must be a better way. They aren’t afraid of trying that new way.  But most of all they have the confidence to light their fire and show others their development and are not afraid to step down when someone finds an even better way. Those who choose to use that spark whether it is to light a candle or a hearth to lead the way for others are the true patriots.”

The following is the Award Winning Essay –

What Does Being a Patriot Mean to Me?

By Nickolas Curtis

To be a patriot is to do what is best for your community and ultimately your country. There is no specific way to do this. Your service can be as simple as volunteering at a local non-profit organization or as valiant as joining the military. The possibilities are endless and the results are resounding. One simple act may even inspire another person and set into action a chain of events that will greatly develop into more and more until there are results on a massive scale. Being a Patriot means being a part of that motion that unifies people and gets jobs done.

While it seems like it takes a specific and prominent individual to be a part of or even start these movements, but it can be actually anyone. Perhaps the most important part about patriotism is that anyone can be a patriot regardless of prestige or wealth. Furthermore, being a patriot does not involve blindly following the ideals of patriotism set forth by a wealthy or important figure. This can actually hinder the process of refining a country into a nation with residents that think for themselves. This can be seen through a textbook patriot who usually appears as a person who goes out of their way to do everything right according to some higher power, they perform stereotypical rituals, and they do not question authority no matter what. These qualities ironically do not help their country, but discourage the improvement of it. Thoughtlessly performing these actions leads to a paradox of unoriginal ideas and a lack of diversity. New ideas are formed by people thinking differently. They cannot think differently when they are bound by the principles of someone else.

Not only does this establish that a patriot thinks freely, it also establishes that a patriot is not afraid to modify their country for the better of the people, rather, they are ready for changes that will progress their country. When people are not afraid of change, innovative concepts are introduced and inevitably these concepts will make their way to the top to someone who can integrate and enforce them while not forcing people to think the same way as them. These patriots are willing to go the extra mile to bring their visions to life to make their enhanced country. They will remake the entire system from the ground up if it means a better life for the people.

However, being a patriot is not limited to revamping a nation. No task is too small for a patriot. If all you can do is pick up trash on the side of a road or work at a soup kitchen, then that is enough devotion to be admired. If every person did these deeds, no matter how insignificant they may seem, they are making their nation better one small step at a time. That one task can be as simple as welcoming a neighbor, but it will make a difference. That act sets a standard for others to follow.

Everyone has some patriot inside of them. Everyone has a spark of inspiration within them that can ignite a magnificent blaze of innovation. It is those who light the fire that are the patriots. They do not look over at the person next to them to see what they are doing to light their fire and think that there is only one way to light it. They look at and think that there must be a better way. They aren’t afraid of trying that new way. But most of all they have the confidence to light their fire and show others their development and are not afraid to step down when someone finds an even better way. Those who choose to use that spark whether it is to light a candle or a hearth to lead the way for others are the true patriots.

Western Wayne High School Administration has recognized junior Paige Barillo as an outstanding student.

Paige recently completed an excellent senior project this spring in which she held a food collection drive for the St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen in Scranton. She worked with Western Wayne Administration in the high school, middle school, and both elementary schools to gather food in the district.

Paige said she gathered more than a truckload of food and estimated that to be over 1,000 pounds of items. She feels extremely grateful to the Western Wayne Community for giving so generously to her cause.

St. Francis of Assisi staff report that Paige’s donation was the largest food donation ever presented from a local school. Monsignor Joseph P. Kelly, executive director of St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, personally thanked Paige for her efforts to help those in need.

Paige had volunteered at St. Francis in the past to help serve meals and felt strongly that she wanted her senior project to benefit a group that feels such a strong mission to help others.

“They strive to be of respect, dignity, and compassion when serving their patrons,” Paige explained. “That really stood out to me.”

Paige, a member of Western Wayne’s National Honor Society, plans to continue to volunteer at St. Francis next year.

“I enjoy the experience because I feel like I am helping others,” Paige said. “A little act of kindness can make their day.”

When Paige isn’t doing volunteer work she is highly involved at Western Wayne High School in sports, clubs, and her academic studies.

Paige is an avid athlete who is a part of the cross-country team, indoor track and field club, and outdoor track and field.

She also is a member of Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science. This year she placed second in the state for her ecology project.

In addition, Paige finds time to dedicate her efforts to Future Business Leaders of America and the prom committee.

Paige also takes the time to work with others in the local community. She is a member of CAB which is Wayne Memorial Hospital’s Community Health Advisory Board. Paige became involved with this group through her high school guidance counselor. She explained how she gets to give input about events and projects regarding the hospital and the community at large.

Paige is especially excited about her opportunity to work with CAB because she plans to pursue a degree to become a physician assistant after graduating from Western Wayne.

“I love studying the sciences,” Paige said. “Physician assistant is such a growing field and I have so many options on what to do with my degree when I finish.”

High school principal Paul Gregorski is very proud of Paige’s accomplishments.

“Paige is a role model for other students at our district,” Gregorski said. “I hope both her efforts within the district and in the local community inspire other students to challenge themselves to take up similar endeavors.”