In a touching moment of celebration and patriotism, eighth-grade student De-Lon Tighe of Rosemary Clarke Middle School (RCMS) was named the winner of this year’s U.S. Constitution Essay Contest, sponsored by the Pahrump Valley Rotary. De-Lon’s essay wasn’t just a display of academic excellence—it was a heartfelt reflection on what the Constitution means on a personal level, and it left a lasting impression on every judge who read it, including Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi.
Rotary member Sheree Stringer, who has coordinated the essay contest for the past four years, presented De-Lon with the top prize, a $100 Amazon gift card, along with a certificate and an “innovation coin”—a symbolic token recognizing his achievement. During the presentation, Stringer expressed her admiration for De-Lon’s sincerity and maturity, noting, “He didn’t talk about the three branches. It was really amazing to sit and read. It came from his heart.”
In a lighthearted moment during the award presentation, Stringer also gave a nod to RCMS honors teacher Mr. Erik Odegard, jokingly congratulating him for “beating his wife this year”—a reference to the friendly competition between Mr. Odegard and his wife, fellow teacher Mrs. Lori Odegard, whose students have taken the top prize in previous years. “It helps to have a great student like this,” Odegard said proudly, acknowledging De-Lon’s talent and drive.
The essay contest, now a longstanding tradition at RCMS, aims to instill a deeper understanding of the U.S. Constitution among eighth graders. Each participating teacher receives pocket-sized copies of the Constitution to distribute to students. Stringer explained the process: “The teachers tell me how many kids are enrolled in their classes. I get them the Constitutions. We give them a couple of months to go over it, and then they offer the opportunity to write an essay to them if they want to. They don’t have to participate in it.” However, in Mr. Odegard’s honors class, the assignment is mandatory and graded.
This year, nearly 80 essays were submitted, with approximately 41 students from Mr. Odegard’s classes and a similar number from Mrs. Odegard’s. According to Mr. Odegard, the Rotary brought together a panel of around seven independent readers who scored each essay using a standardized rubric. The highest-scoring essay earned the top honor—and De-Lon Tighe’s entry stood out from the rest.
When asked to describe the contest, De-Lon explained, “It was a contest about writing about the Constitution and how it’s important to us. And I wrote about how if the Constitution didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be the person I was today because I wouldn’t be able to express my opinion in the way that I do.” For De-Lon, this was more than just a classroom exercise—it was a personal expression of gratitude for the freedoms he enjoys as an American.
What set his essay apart was not a dry recitation of historical facts or government structure, but rather a deep, emotional connection to the principles enshrined in the Constitution. “I feel really proud of myself,” he said with quiet confidence. “Like, you know, I feel what other kids did… they just wrote down a script and they’re like, okay, this is what I’m going to do, this is what I’m going to write about. And I just… the words kept flowing from my heart because this was something I was passionate about.”
That passion didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, District Attorney Kunzi personally read De-Lon’s essay and was so impressed by it that he made a point to tell Sheree Stringer how much he appreciated it. “Mr. Kunzi was very excited about his essay,” Stringer shared. “When I read it the first time, I had to read it a couple of times. It was just so amazing and heartfelt. And it’s not that you have to be opinionated, you don’t have to be a Democrat, you don’t have to be a Republican or a Libertarian. [The Constitution] is part of our country, and it’s part of our heritage.”
Stringer emphasized the importance of engaging young students in civic education early, and she sees the Constitution Essay Contest as a valuable tool in doing just that. “If we can bring it into the schools and let children understand… I think eighth graders understand it. You don’t have to be high school or a college graduate or anything like that to understand the Constitution. If you start them out young and bring it forward…”
De-Lon’s win represents more than just academic success—it’s a testament to the power of personal expression, critical thinking, and civic pride. As he looks ahead to ninth grade, the tools and lessons he’s gaining now will serve him well both in and out of the classroom. Thanks to his teachers, the Rotary, and programs like this contest, he’s already proven that he understands one of the most important aspects of being an American citizen: using your voice.
With a winning essay that touched hearts and opened eyes, De-Lon Tighe has shown that the next generation of leaders is already here—and they’re ready to stand up for the values that define this country.
Here is De-Lon Tighe’s award-winning essay in full:
In these trying times, politics and what laws make this nation great have been a hot topic. Today you could scroll through the net and find two polar opposite political opinions right next to each other and this is completely normal to some of us. You could take a drive through a city and encounter someone criticizing the state of the government and completely denouncing the people who lead our country. You may decry these people’s opinions and think they are fools, but they still have the right to express their feelings. Sometimes, we take our freedoms for granted as they have become something we use in our daily lives but these rights are a blessing, often in disguise.
When it comes to our rights and why they’re important, I think the best example is my upbringing. I come from a melting pot of cultures, personalities, and political opinions and being from this type of environment has made me the beautifully opinionated person I am. My mother leaned towards more democratic opinions while my grandfather and brother aligned more with Republican views. This variety of opinions was picked up on by me and it stuck to me. I have very conservative opinions while also having more democratic approaches to things, and this may not seem all that important, but without our civil liberties, I would’ve most likely been exposed to a hivemind opinion and probably would’ve been scared to voice my opinion or would’ve gone with the masses.
To be absolutely frank, there is a great amount of inner strife and discourse in our nation. The press tries to feed us biased slop without accurate journaling. People get into vulgar arguments and stay confident in their opinions and self righteous in their ways. A lot of the time, this could feel overwhelming, agitating, and anxiety inducing, but I see a silver lining in this. People in places like North Korea and Saudi Arabia don’t have the freedom to express opinions like in our society. Our messy opinions are awkwardly blended into a proverbial smoothie to create the ultimate country we all love. The United States of America.
