DAR Honors Students at Annual Youth Awards Day

Imagine you can choose one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence to join you for lunch. Who would you choose and why? What kinds of questions would you ask as you shared a meal? And how would that person’s answers impact the decisions you make in your own life in defense of freedom and liberty?

Forty-eight elementary school-aged essayists had no trouble imagining “Lunch with a Signer” when writing their entries for the 2025-26 American History Essay Contest sponsored by the Signal Hill Chapter, NSDAR of Barrington, IL. Winners and all participants received recognition and applause at the Youth Awards Day in early February. Approximately one hundred people – including teachers, students and their families, were present to hear the winning essays read aloud and celebrate every student who participated in the annual contest.

Signal Hill Chapter, NSDAR recognized three first place winners:

Nikolina Stanislawski, fifth grader at Barrington’s Hough Street Elementary School

Genevieve Haradon, sixth grader, also at Barrington’s Hough Street Elementary School

Aanvi Patel, eighth grader at Barrington’s Prairie Middle School

Nikolina and Genevieve also won first place for their essays at Illinois District IV NSDAR levels; and Genevieve placed first at Illinois State NSDAR. Her essay now advances to the National level competition.

The Signal Hill Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) was chartered fifty years ago in Barrington, IL in 1972. NSDAR is a volunteer women’s service organization headquartered in Washington, DC.

DAR members promote historic preservation, education, patriotism, and conservation via commemorative events, scholarships and educational initiatives, citizenship programs, service to veterans, meaningful community service, and more.

Since the national organization was founded in 1890, over one million women have joined NSDAR. Membership is open to any woman aged eighteen and over who can prove lineal descent from a Patriot of the American Revolution. For more information about the Barrington, IL-based chapter, visit signalhilldar.com.