School of the Ozarks Student Places Third in National Daughter’s of the American Revolution History

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — School of the Ozarks eighth grader, Ashlynn Saffle, placed third in the Daughters of the American Revolution National History Essay Contest.

At School of the Ozarks, students in seventh and eighth grade participate in this contest yearly. It gives students an opportunity to hone their writing skills and enables them to research a patriotic topic. Students at School of the Ozarks have won at a local level for several years, but last year was the first time an S of O student won at a state level and continued to the national level. Ashlynn was the overall winner for the State of Missouri competition which took place back in March.

This year's topic was “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Essay writers were asked to imagine they were newspaper reporters for The Philadelphia Times on May 14, 1897. The newspaper editor asked them to attend and report on the first public performance of John Philip Sousa’s new march, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” The students were to tell about Sousa’s life and the story behind the song, reporting their thoughts about the music and how the audience reacted to what was seen and heard that day.

The Daughters of the American Revolution 133^rd Continental Congress was held in Washington, D.C. June 26-30, 2024. The winners of each Daughters of the American Revolution national division competed for national awards at this annual event. Ashlynn Saffle won first place in the South Central Daughters of the American Revolution division of the United States after winning first place in the state of Missouri. She then earned the privilege of competing at the national level, where she received the third-place award for the entire nation of Daughters of the American Revolution American History Contest Competitors.

“Ashlynn's hard work, determination, and God-given talent for writing and communicating are to be commended, and we are so joyful that she earned this recognition,” Jenni Carey, lead teacher said.

The Daughters of the American Revolution have approximately 3,000 chapters with over 180,000 members across the United States and in other countries. Students at S of O learn about the rich heritage of our nation from our local Daughters of the American Revolution members. We are grateful for the services and opportunities they offer for the youth of America!

“Ashlynn Saffle exemplifies the type of young citizen described in our vision statement…one who exhibits ‘Christ-like character,’ and is ‘well-educated, hardworking, and patriotic,’” Dr. Brad Dolloff, dean of School of the Ozarks said. “Ashlynn not only possesses those characteristics, but has the grammar, logic, and rhetorical skills to articulately communicate those qualities to others. The fact she has been recognized at the national level by Daughters of the American Revolution is a tribute to her virtue, her parents’ training, and the investment in her by Mrs. Jenni Carey and the other teachers at School of the Ozarks.”                    

For additional information, contact Public Relations Director Valorie Coleman at (417) 690-2212.

About College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian, liberal arts college, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, on a 1,000-acre campus. Christian values, hard work, and financial responsibility comprise the fundamental building blocks of the “Hard Work U.” experience. The College earns numerous accolades yearly, including No. 1 Most Innovative School in the Midwest and No. 1 Best Value Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-2024 and No. 3 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly, 2023. To achieve its vision, the College pursues academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals. These goals are mirrored in School of the Ozarks, a laboratory school that completes the K-college model.

The Keeter Center — the College’s award-winning lodge, restaurant, and conference facility — earns awards consistently, including the TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award 2023 and the Best of the Best and Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 from ConventionSouth magazine. The Keeter Center features historic lodging, fine dining, and meeting rooms. With more than 350 student workers, it is the largest workstation on campus. Follow College of the Ozarks at www.facebook.com/collegeoftheozarks or on Twitter @CofOHardWorkU.