Carmel Student Wins DAR Good Citizen Honor

Eight local high school seniors were honored as Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizens on Feb. 23 in Noblesville. Alyson Swearingen (Carmel High School, Hannah Duquaine, (The Classical Academy), Timmy Lawrence (Fishers High School), Luke Lively (Hamilton Heights High School), Aubrey Matasovsky (Hamilton Southeastern High School), Nova Cross (Sheridan High School), Elle Hufhand (Tipton High School, and Celina O’Neill (Westfield High School) all received Good Citizen pins, graduation cords and certificates.

Swearingen was judged as the overall chapter winner and also received a monetary scholarship and a flag flown in her honor over the U.S. Capitol at the request of Congresswoman Victoria Spartz. The DAR Good Citizens program and scholarship contest is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship. The program is open to all senior class students enrolled in accredited public or private secondary schools in good standing with their state boards of education. United States citizenship is not required.

The student selected as the school’s DAR Good Citizen must have the qualities of: dependability, service, leadership and patriotism. In the application, students had to describe how they have manifested the qualities of a good citizen as well as submitted two letters of recommendation. The second part is a timed essay. This year’s essay title was “Our American Heritage and our Responsibility for Preserving it” with a focus question of: “Service is an essential attribute of a good citizen. Discuss how service can foster a strong sense of community and strengthen our American identity?”