Students will lay wreath at Tomb

Students across the country take annual trips to Washington, D.C., to visit museums and memorials, but not all of them have the opportunity that four Jay County students will have.
During West Jay Middle School and East Jay Middle School’s eighth grade trip to Washington next week, four students will be laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
One girl and one boy from each school have laid a wreath at the Tomb since the trip became an annual event in 1992. This year the spots were awarded after each student wrote an essay, with a different topic for each school.
For an estimated 50 West Jay students, essays centered on why it would be an honor to lay the wreath at the Tomb. Teachers selected students Kellie Grady and Jordan Stultz after looking through all of the essays, which were read anonymously.
When the two students learned they had been chosen, they weren’t allowed to tell their friends, as the winners were to be revealed to the school during its Veterans Day celebration.
“I was in class, and they called me down because no one’s supposed to know … and they told me, and I was just really shocked,” said Grady. “And I had to go back to class and not tell any of my friends so it was really tough.”
For Stultz, it’s an honor not only because it’s the part of the trip he’s been anticipating, but because his brother, Josh, was selected to lay the wreath in 2011 but was unable to go.
“I was excited about Arlington the most when I was thinking about going to D.C.,” said Stultz.
East Jay students had a similar experience in their selection process; the only difference was the topic of the 250-word essay. Students wrote about who exemplified a true American.
Lucy Laux and Mitchel Frasher won for their originality.
Laux, who like Stultz has been excited for the trip since her sister Emma went two years ago, wrote about her own pride for her country and the qualities of a true American.
“Knowledge of our past helps guide us in our future,” she said in her essay. “It enables us to have pride in knowing the struggles, courage and accomplishments of our country. A true American makes their country, state, community, school, neighborhood and home the best it can be.”
Frasher penned a personal essay about his great grandfather, who was a prisoner of war during WWII. While the laying of the wreath is an important part of the trip, he is eager to take in the whole experience.
“I think it will be cool to see all the stuff that we do,” said Frasher. “To know what people have gone through to make this country what it is.”
But this trip won’t just bring pride to the students involved, the teachers feel honored to be represented by them.
“You can’t just go to Washington, D.C., and lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” said West Jay English teacher Diana Kellermeyer. “It is quite an honor. We don’t pick them by looking at the students and say who would be worthy. They have to write an essay.”
The essay doesn’t merely assist with choosing a student. For some, it can feel like an accomplishment when they’re carrying out the act.
“We have them write, that way we don’t always pick the students that you might think would get picked. Everybody has the same chance,” said West Jay science teacher Denny Taylor, who has been on the trip every year since its inception. “And they like doing it because it’s an honor because they’ve earned it. We didn’t just pick them out of a group.”
The teachers from both schools try to put the magnitude of the ceremony into perspective for the students before they write their essays.
“I always show the video of President Obama where he lays the wreath,” said East Jay U.S. history teacher, Carissa Goldsworthy. “I said, ‘That’s a huge honor, and you guys get to participate in that.’ And it’s just honoring all the people who have fought in the war, maybe who haven’t come home.”
With some of the students looking toward their future, the ceremony can have a profound impact.
“Especially some of the boys, they want to be military, and so they know that’s one of the most respected positions,” said Goldsworthy. “There’s some military that say that’s the highest honor to have. So they just admire watching those men. Twenty-one seconds across, 21 seconds back.”
The trip has always been a successful one, the teachers said, with past Jay County groups receiving compliments on their behavior. The teachers noted that a change comes over the students when they arrive at the solemn site.
“You go to Arlington, and the kids, they’re laughing and giggling and having a good time. They get off the bus, and we start walking up and they get really quiet,” said Dellermeyer. “There’s just nothing like it. For them to represent West Jay is incredible.”[[In-content Ad]]