The Westhampton Beach School District is pleased to announce that seven students have been named local winners in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 535’s annual Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy essay contests.

For their stellar essays written on the contest theme of “Is this the country the founders envisioned,” Westhampton Beach High School students Amanda Albert, Ciara Byrne and Cassidy Conner were named winners.

Achieving honors in the Patriot’s Pen essay contest were Westhampton Beach Middle School students Mia Brown, Cole Dawson, James Monserrate and Adelina Scott. The students each penned essays surrounding this year’s contest theme, “What is patriotism to me?”

Additionally, the VFW post named Westhampton Beach High School teacher Pamela Horowitz as this year’s teacher of the year for her efforts in teaching patriotism to her students.