Houlton High School has announced that senior Erin Keehn, DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Good Citizen of the Year, has placed third in the Esther Eayres Chapter of the DAR essay contest.
Keehn competed against other DAR winners in her division of the scholarship competition earlier this year. Each participant was required to write an essay of no more than 550 words on this year’s topic, “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It.” Keehn’s essay also had to effectively answer the focus question, “How does one’s personal heritage affect one’s duties to our nation?”
Adding to the difficulty, her essay was written under a two-hour time constraint and had to be completed using no reference materials other than a dictionary, no internet, and could not be proof read by anyone other than the student. In addition, the essay topic and focus question were not revealed to the student until the two-hour time limit had begun.
Houlton High Principal Marty Bouchard and Houlton High School Director of Guidance Hollie McPartland joined Keehn and her parents at a ceremony honoring the top three winners held in Orono on April 7. She was presented with a certificate at the event and has received a State Good Citizens pin in honor of her achievement.
The DAR Good Citizens program and scholarship contest is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship. Each year this prestigious award is presented to a high school senior who exemplifies the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism.
Keehn was among three outstanding members from the Class of 2014 to be nominated for the honor by faculty at Houlton High School before being voted in as the winner by the Senior Class. Keehn is an honors student who is actively involved in a multitude of activities within the community and at school. Erin’s civic contributions include being a member of Girl Scouts for the past 12 years, participating in Youth Group and Girls State, working as a tour guide for the A.E. Howell Wildlife Conservation Center, as well as partaking in various community service related activities.
Her contributions to Houlton High School span from academic to enrichment through her commitment to the Civil Rights Committee, school musicals, Model State Legislature, the National Honor Society, the Drop Out Prevention Committee, Student Council, and music programs such as Offbeat, Jazz Band, and Camerata. She has also served as a Class Officer for the past two years, aids other students through her work as an English Writing Tutor, assists with school performances through Tech Crew, and is an active participant in school-wide community service projects.
Keehn is the daughter of Troy and Kim Keehn. She resides in Houlton with her parents and her brother Hunter.
