Submitted photo Pictured from left, Sylvia Nguyen, aifth grade student at Thomas County Middle School, receives Junior American Citizens award certificates presented by Thomasville Chapter DAR Regent Shelba Sellers at the TCMS awards night. Nguyen was selected as the fifth frade, first place winner in the JAC Art Poster Contest for the Thomasville Chapter, Southwest District and State DAR competitions, and the second-place winner in the Southeastern Division. She also received the Thomasville Chapter JAC Best in Show Award.

The Thomasville Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution recently announced the winners for the Junior American Citizens contests for 2024-2025.

Patriotism and education are two of the missions of DAR. The DAR Junior American Citizens program teaches children the principles of democratic government, good citizenship and appreciation of American heritage and history.

The Thomasville Chapter DAR sponsored JAC contests in art, creative expression and community service for kindergarten through eighth grade. The JAC contest theme for 2024-2025 was “Sailing with the Stars and Stripes to celebrate the 250th birthday of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.”

Students from Harper Elementary School, Jerger Elementary School, Cross Creek Elementary School, Garrison Pilcher Elementary School, Thomas County Middle School, MacIntyre Park Middle School and Thomasville Christian School participated in the JAC contests. Entries were judged locally. There were 114 students that received first place chapter certificates and then competed in the state competition. There were 102 first place state winners and 12 second place state winners. From the state competition, 68 students were selected Southeastern Division winners and 53 students were selected as winners in the National competition.

Sylvia Nguyen, a fifth-grade student at Thomas County Middle School was selected for the Thomasville Chapter JAC Best in Show Award by Regent Shelba Sellers. She was also a first-place state winner and second place winner in the Southeastern Division in the art poster contest.

The National JAC Contest winners are:

Art – banner contest first place

• First grade, Garrison Pilcher Elementary School: Addison Belflowers, Brinley Belflowers, Dylan Tallman, Fisher Strickland, Turner Hubbard
• First grade, Garrison Pilcher Elementary School: Oliver Bartlett, Charlie Collier, Evelyn Diaz, Dani Nicolas, Santiago Perales
• Second grade, Garrison Pilcher Elementary School: Pierce Shaver, Willow Howard, Jackson Carlton, Kolby Barrow, Stone Hanbury
• Third grade, Cross Creek Elementary School: McCoy Ketchum, Sam Beaty, Kenrick Bradshaw, Oliver Brown, Andrew Wild
• Third grade – Mark Rush, Jade Villanueva, Anthony Lopez, Zyon Holton; Cross Creek Elementary School

Art – digital contest first place

• Fifth grade, Jerger Elementary School: Anna Shiver
• Sixth grade, Thomas County Middle School: Gunner Parker

Art – photographic essay contest first place

• Second grade – Clara Williamson; Garrison Pilcher Elementary School
• Third grade, Jerger Elementary School: John Ross Vick
• Third grade, Jerger Elementary School: Cyrus Marsh

Art – poster contest first place

• Second grade, Garrison Pilcher Elementary School: Kolby Barrow
• Fourth grade, Jerger Elementary School: Bhumi Patel
• Sixth grade, Thomas County Middle School: Ella Roberts
• Seventh grade, Thomas County Middle School: Lyra McLain

Art – stamp contest first place

• First grade, Garrison Pilcher Elementary School: Logan Grace
• Fifth grade, Jerger Elementary School: Emma Ellis

Art – banner contest second place

• Kindergarten, Jerger Elementary School: Olive Reiman, Warner Thurston, Sophia Ford, Chloe Paige, Chrisma Courtney
• Sixth grade, Thomas County Middle School: Colton Cooper, Erik Hancock, John Knuckles, Milo Lindsey, Ayden McLaurin

Art – poster contest second place

• Sixth grade, Thomas County Middle School: Mackenzie Fallin

Art – stamp contest second place

• Second grade, Garrison Pilcher Elementary School: Kolby Barrow
• Third grade, Cross Creek Elementary School: Jude Ellis
• Fourth grade, Jerger Elementary School: Quinn Davis

Art – stamp contest third place

• Third grade, Jerger Elementary School: Carter Cook

Group community service contest third place

• Eighth grade, Thomas County Middle School: Brian Cauley, Benjamin Bailey, Holten Dennard

Certificates are presented at the chapter, state and national level to the students with the winning contest entries. The Thomasville Chapter DAR extended its thanks to JAC Committee Chair and Regent Shelba Sellers and committee members Vice Regent Michelle Kimbler, Fran Puryear and Karen Andrews for judging the contest entries and to Linda Drew Johnson for preparing the certificates for the chapter winners.