Karissa Long Selected as Martha Dandridge Washington Chapter, NSDAR Good Citizens Award 2020

Karissa Long, a recent graduate of Jefferson County High School, has been selected as the Martha Dandridge Washington Chapter, NSDAR, Good Citizens Award winner for 2020.

Karen Bible, Recording Secretary and DAR Good Citizens Committee Chairman, presented the award for Long’s exemplary performance in the area of citizenship.

The Good Citizens Award recipient must be a senior who exhibits the following outstanding qualities: 1. Dependability (including truthfulness, loyalty, and punctuality); 2. Service (including cooperation, courtesy, and consideration of others); 3. Leadership (including personality, self-control, and ability to assume responsibility); and 4. Patriotism (including unselfish interest in family, school, community, and nation).

Ms. Long received a pin, a certificate, a wallet card, and a $150.00 scholarship for her outstanding achievement. She completed the following steps for consideration: 1. A written description of how she has tried to “manifest the qualities of a good citizen”; 2. A transcript of her grades; 3. Two letters of recommendation; and 4. A timed essay focusing on “You and your peers are our nation’s leaders of tomorrow. How would you energize America’s youth to fully engage as effective citizens? Why is that important?” The essays were evaluated by an independent panel of judges.

In her essay, Ms. Long wrote that elementary schools “should have community service clubs, learn about local current events, and learn about local history and how to preserve it.” She added, “By creating relationships in the community through service, the meaning of one’s community becomes personal making the time spent doing community service well-invested.”

When asked what being a good citizen means to her, Ms. Long said, “Like Daughters of the American Revolution, I believe being a good citizen involves dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism.” Moreover, good citizenship is expressed by “being actively involved in your community, staying up-to-date on local current events and knowing your hometown’s history…helping anyone you feel is in need and giving back to your community.”

Ms. Long stressed the point that a good citizen takes advantage of one’s First Amendment rights (including freedom of religion, speech, press and peaceful assembly and petition of government) and votes in local, state, and national elections.

During Ms. Long’s junior and senior years of high school, she was an active member of the Leo Club, which is a community service-oriented organization. In addition, she was co-president of Patriot Pals, a club that does after school activities with special needs students. In that same vein, she participated in a service-learning class where she was placed in a special education classroom as a peer tutor.

For Ms. Long, the future holds study at Walters State Community College with a transfer pathway to East Tennessee State University where she plans to major in Special Education.

Ms. Long is the daughter of Keela Long of Morristown.

Chloe Michele Robison was the runner-up in the competition.

Karissa Long, winner of the Good Citizens

Award for 2020 from the Martha Dandridge

Washington Chapter, NSDAR.