DAR Presents Good Citizen Awards
The Smith-McMillan Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution honored the school winners of the Good Citizens Award at the annual Presidents Day Tea on Sunday, February 7. The ceremony was held at the home of Jeanne Schilling in Fayetteville with parents and guests joining the members for this occasion. The meeting was called to order by Regent Sue Lane McCulley, and after the DAR Ritual and a brief business meeting, Regent McCulley introduced guests and then asked Good Citizen’s Committee Chairperson Sherry Hebert to introduce the five area high school honorees and the guest speaker.
The DAR Good Citizen Awards are presented annually by each DAR chapter. Each of the students named as a DAR Good Citizen was selected from the senior class to represent their school based on four qualities: Dependability, Service, Leadership, and Patriotism. Each of these four qualities was applied during a stringent review of each candidate’s high school activities, grades, home activities, community activities, and their plans for the future. Each winner was asked to participate by writing an essay about “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It: How do the combined actions of so many good citizens keep our nation moving forward?” Independent judges reviewed the winners from each school to determine an overall area winner. All students were awarded a DAR Good Citizens jewelry pin and certificate, and monetary gifts of $150 each--with the first place winner advancing to State and receiving a $250 monetary gift.
Awarded first place was Madelyn Ann Karstedt, the daughter of John and Bonny Karstedt. Madelyn attends Fayetteville High School and has served as President of the National Honor Society and as Student Council President. Along with cheer, softball, and track participation, Madelyn has participated in several UIL events including Science, Ready Writing, Essay Writing, News Writing and Feature Writing and advanced to state in Congressional Debate UIL. She hailed as Lickskillet Queen her freshman year and was student of the month her sophomore year in school. Madelyn serves the community in a variety of ways, most notably as a volunteer at the animal shelter and helping to find homes for them. She plans on attending Texas A&M to pursue a degree in biology and hopes to continue on to Texas A&M’s medical school. Currently, Madelyn works part time as an office assistant for an insurance company in Fayetteville and participates in her church youth group.
Ryker Tyne Goehring is the son of Blake and Christie Goehring and attends Round Top-Carmine High School. Ryker has served his FFA chapter as President, Vice President, Advisor, and Greenhand Secretary. Other leadership roles include Beta President and Class President for three years. He’s hailed All-District and in Regionals in varsity basketball, baseball as pitcher, and crosscountry, and has earned MVP in both basketball and baseball as well as earning the freshman RT-C Fighting Heart Award. Ryker has also earned THSB Pitcher of the Week twice, UIL Number Sense Regional Qualifier, Boys State, Lone Star Degree, and shows Commercial Heifers and has earned Dual Credits. Ryker serves his community through church youth activities. He has been accepted to Texas A&M University with an eye on a career in the medical field. We honored Ryker with a certificate, a DAR Good Citizen pin, and a monetary award of $150 that will be delivered to him.
Samuel Martinez, the son of Samuel and Maria Martinez and attends Flatonia High School. Samuel’s high school English/ESL teacher states, “I watched Samuel set the goal of becoming Drum Major of the Bulldog band – and set out a plan to make that happen. And it did Samuel understands the concept of hard work and he can set goals to reach any pursuit that he determines.” He lives up to this characterization with leadership not only as the Drum Major for the marching band but also as treasurer for Interact Club. Other accomplishments include Marching Band Captain, Tuba First Chair/Section leader for five years, Outstanding Brass/ Wind, Outstanding 8th grader, and Outstanding Freshman. In his young life, Samuel has balanced school with part time employment at three different restaurants. He is ready and willing to serve his community and be a role model to look up to. Samuel hopes to attend Blinn College and transfer to another institution of higher education for a career in music with a goal of becoming a band director.
MaKenzie Elaine Givan is the daughter of Dawn and Scott Givan and attends La Grange High School. She sports a variety of leadership roles such as VP in Media Club, VP and President in Anchor Club, and worked as a reporter, photographer, and editor for her high school newspaper. MaKenzie has also been a feature writer and sports/portrait photographer for the high school yearbook as well as editor of the Elementary school yearbook and lead feature writer of her high school Yearbook. Among the many roles and awards in the high school band, MaKenzie has been Head Drum Major and has earned second chair in the All Region Symphonic band advancing to Area Band. Ma-Kenzie’s high school UIL participation covers four years of competition placing in Spelling and Vocabulary, Computer Applications, Feature Writing and Film. She has participated on the JV Tennis Team, helps with children’s Sunday School, and teaches Vacation Bible School, and often signs for the deaf at church as a volunteer interpreter for the Deaf Ministry. MaKenzie plans to attend the University of North Texas or Sam Houston State University to study print journalism.
Regan Elyse Lux is the daughter of Brad and Terah Lux and attends Schulenburg High School. Regan’s leadership roles include president at both the local and area levels of FFA as well as other offices in her Schulenburg FFA chapter. She has also served as a class officer two years each as class vice president and class president and has held the office of vice president in NHS. Regan has earned an impressive and varied list of awards in the areas of academ ics, public speaking (on state level); placing in Area Floriculture Career Development; four years high school honor roll; and state convention Finalist: Star Lone Star Finalist, Star Chapter finalist and Star Greenhand Finalist from 2018-2020. Regan has represented in the Washington Leadership Conference, Texas Farm Bureau Leadership Conference, and American Legion Auxiliary Bluebonnet Girls’ State. Athletically, Regan has accomplished TAVC Academic All-State Volleyball during her varsity volleyball career and plays varsity softball. She has served the community by notably organizing blood drives and a Trick or Treat Around the Track. Regan has been accepted to Texas A&M where she plans to major in animal science and pursue veterinarian medicine.
Zoe Essman is the daughter of Tara and Lee Essman and attends Giddings High School. She is a student in the Gifted & Talented Program and shows her leadership abilities with four years on the Giddings High School Leadership Team--which is a team made up of students that are selected by the principal to get feedback and new ideas as to how to improve the school. Zoe has also served as Secretary in the Giddings High School Spanish Club. She represented her school well in UIL Spelling as Team District Champions and Regional Qualifiers. She was active in BETA Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Zoe’s athletic prowess enabled her to earn the GHS Soccer District MVP, Giddings MVP, All Region Honorable Mention, and Offensive Player of the Year on the GHS Varsity Soccer team. Her community service includes volunteering with Special Olympics, Giddings Food Pantry, Santa’s Workshop at her church, and Zoe has also served as a mentor for youth ages four to seven for the local soccer association. Zoe plans to attend the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University.
The Good Citizens Day Program’s guest speaker was Reverend Andy Smith, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in La Grange. Reverend Smith welcomed this year’s Good Citizen honorees by acknowledging that their peers and teachers selected them based on their qualities: Dependability, Service, Leadership, and Patriotism. Our country and these Good Citizens have experienced a lot of adversity within the past year to reflect upon with both a pandemic and a contentious Presidential election year. He said that President Abraham Lincoln aimed to heal our country from the strife fol lowing the Civil War and quoted his inaugural speech:
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish, a just and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”
Just as many lives were lost in the Civil War, so too have many been lost during this COVID-19 pandemic, and our Good Citizens and our country has only to foster goodwill, not malice—humililty and civility, not unrest, and forgiveness because we are all flawed. He reminded us that our founders understood man’s imperfection by protecting future generations from tyranny as they penned the Bill of Rights and our U. S. Constitution which limits the powers of the government so to be ruled by the consent of the people, by the people, and for the people. Reverend Smith apprised our high school senior honorees that not only are they being celebrated as Good Citizens which reflects their family’s names, their schools, and communities but also that they are going forward as good stewards into a country and world that is theirs to shape, nourish, and protect.
Following the awards program and benediction by Regent Sue Lane McCulley, the members and guests were adjourned to enjoy assorted desserts and appetizers provided by hostess-Jeanne Schilling.