WARSAW — Edgewood Middle School eighth-grader Haley Rodewald was recognized Wednesday, Nov. 13, for winning a $500 Patriot’s Pen scholarship.

The scholarship was presented by Robert Dockery, representing the VFW James W. Sittler Post 1126.

“I was surprised to hear that I won,” said Rodewald. “This was such a great opportunity. My essay was about freedom of speech and how our ancestors had to fight for that.”

Patriot’s Pen is a VFW-sponsored youth essay competition that gives students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. This year’s theme was “What Makes America Great.” Patriot’s Pen is open to sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students enrolled in public or private schools in the United States. Each year, more than 110,000 students in grades 6 through 8 enter the youth essay contest by writing a 300- to 400-word essay.

The program encourages students to examine America’s history while integrating their own experiences in modern American society into their essays.