Courtesy photo Eighth grade English Teacher at Gladstone Junior High School Kim Brancheau and her classes participated in the America & Me Essay Contest this year. Shown with Brancheau are the school’s winners Natalie King (first place), Aryanna Mercier (second place) and Jack Wilson (third place).

GLADSTONE — Three students from Gladstone Middle School have been named local winners in the 55th annual America & Me Essay Contest, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance. The students who earned first, second and third place awards for the school are Natalie King, first; Aryanna Mercier, second; and Jack Wilson, third. All three received award certificates for their achievement. As the school’s first place winner, King’s name will also be engraved on a plaque for permanent display in the school.

King’s first place essay now advances to the state level competition, from which the top ten essays in Michigan will be selected. The top 10 statewide winners, who will be announced in April, will each receive a plaque, a medallion and a cash award of $1,000. Farm Bureau Insurance will also be presenting each top ten statewide school with a $1,000 check, along with an additional $500 if the school was sponsored by a Farm Bureau Insurance agent.

The annual American & Me Essay Contest Awards Day is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, in Lansing. The top 10 students and their teachers from across the state will be invited to participate in the day-long group recognitions. In the event the ceremony cannot be held in person, students still receive their awards and recognitions for their achievement.

Several thousand eighth grade students from nearly 200 Michigan schools participated in the 2024-2025 America & Me Essay Contest, which was conducted with the help of Farm Bureau Insurance agents across the state. The topic of the 2024-2025 contest was “My Personal Michigan Hero.”

A team of finalist judges, including a top Michigan government official as well as the sponsoring teachers of last year’s top two statewide winners, will determine the ranking of the top ten statewide winners this year.

Launched in 1968 and open to all Michigan eighth grade students, the America & Me Essay Contest encourages Michigan youth to explore the greatness of America and its people. As a sponsor of the contest, Farm Bureau Insurance has earned 11 national awards from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.