TALISA DEAN won fourth in the nation in the V.F.W.’s youth essay contest. Talisa is pictured here with Charles Jackson, National Aide-de-Camp and Commander of Cairo V.F.W. Post 8433.
Grady County’s Talisa Dean has won a big national award in the Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. It was announced Monday in Washington, D.C. that the 12-year-old won fourth place in the nation for her essay written on the contest’s 2019-2020 theme, “What Makes America Great.”
“From small towns like Cairo comes big things,” says a proud Charles Jackson, National Aide-de-Camp and Commander of Cairo V.F.W. Post 8433.
Dean, a sixth grade homeschool student, competed in the middle school division, and for her essay’s national ranking was awarded the $2,750 Alaine Benson Memorial Award. Dean had already won $900 for winning at the local post, district and state levels.
National winners were announced at the V.F.W.’s annual Legislative Conference in D.C. The winner of this year’s competition is a teen from Lake Orion, Michigan.
Dean is the daughter of Michelle and Dan Dean of Grady County.
