Three eighth-graders from Ascension School, 4600 Lynnbrook Drive, were winners of the 2017 National Elks Lodge 8 Americanism Essay Contest.
Sophia Pascua won first place; Jean Grey won second place; and Jackson Fears placed third.
The topic of the contest was “Why Is It Important to Vote?” and was open to students in fifth- through eighth-grades “to promote patriotism among young people,” according to the organization’s website.