First Place
Alice Osland, Fairland

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Second Place
Bryson Dickerson, Stillwater

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First Place
Peter Isley, Tulsa

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Second Place
Ethan Curry, Stillwater

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First Place
Adalynn Goodman, Oklahoma City

Why voting, helping others, and following laws makes our country strong
When we vote, help others, and follow the laws, we make our country strong by fostering a stable, just, and reliable country. Voting helps our country by allowing citizens to choose their representatives, and to hold accountable for their decisions and actions. Community services, such as volunteering and community service, build connections, trust, and empathy among diverse groups of people.

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Second Place
Isabella Dayton, Oklahoma City

I believe that voting, helping others, and following laws can make our country strong. In this essay, I will be explaining why this is true. I will also explain why we should do this.

Voting can make our country strong. If we had a king or queen, when they passed, their eldest child would take over. But, the child who takes over could be good or bad. Many of our presidents have done great things. Voting on our next president lets us choose who will be best.

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First Place
Lindsey Fisher, Stillwater

How does following the law contribute to being a good citizen. The Founding Fathers created laws that helped establish caring communities and encouraged citizens to make good choices. For the Founding Fathers and the country as a whole life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness was the American dream.

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Second Place
Levi Alexander, Glencoe

Following the American Dream
The American dream isn't possible without fair laws protecting your jobs, inventions, and books. We need to have laws that help us respect others and listen to them. Voting prevents people from fighting.

To achieve the American dream there are fair laws that protect rights. One of the key laws to protect rights is universal education that gives you knowledge needed to achieve jobs you want like a doctor, engineer and other jobs. Another key law is private property protection so you can own a business or protect creative projects to make money. Copyright and patents are included in the constitution.

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First Place
Kanchan Thomas, Tulsa

A New View of the American Dream in Regimes
The Statue of Liberty has historically been a beacon of light for many people coming to America for a new life, dreams, hopes, and freedom. Inscribed on the pedestal of this monument are the famous words, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" (National Park Service, 2016) [5]. This quote from Emma Lazarus implies that some countries, like Venezuela, live under an authoritarian government. The poor, the tired, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free are like citizens under the shackles of an autocracy. This quote also demonstrates how in the United States, the rule of law upholds essential freedoms like equality, justice, and security in the American Dream, but in autocracies like Venezuela, these rights are abandoned.

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Second Place
Brandon Johansen, Skiatook

The Role of Government in the United States and Vietnam
Freedom is one of the most important aspects of life for many people. In the United States, people have the freedom to choose their career, their religion, and they can vote for change when they think it's needed. In a democracy, these freedoms are part of everyday life, but not everyone around the world is able to experience the same freedom because there are many who live in countries where one person or one party makes all the decisions. Vietnam, for example, is run by the Communist Party of Vietnam under an authoritarian system which does not allow the same freedoms that are experienced in the United States. Vietnam and the United States vary greatly in how they make and enforce laws, what role citizens have in choosing leaders and influencing laws, and how these governments affect their citizens' freedoms and ability to accomplish their goals.

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Honorable Mention
June McRae, Tulsa

A Struggle for Dreams

The stories you are about to read are about two kids trying to save their siblings with the government's help. One child lives in North Korea's dictatorship and is named Yong-Chol; his life is hard and isn't so simple. The other kid is named Camile and lives in France's republic. Her life has its ups and downs but its overall pretty good. You will see how similar two lives can be but under different circumstances can change.

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First Place
Brantley Bullock, Idabel

A Level Playing Field: How the Rule of Law Shapes the American Dream
In every sport I play or watch, rules are what make the game worth playing. In basketball, the clock, the foul line, and the out-of-bounds rules keep the game fair. In football, penalties stop teams from cheating just to win. If there were no rules, the biggest or toughest players would dominate every game, and skill would not matter. The rule of law works the same way in government. It sets boundaries, protects fairness, and makes sure power does not get abused. Some people argue that fewer laws mean more freedom, but just like in sports, a game without rules is unfair and dangerous. By comparing a democratic government like the United States to an authoritarian government, it becomes clear that the rule of law is what creates a fair system and makes the American Dream possible.

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Second Place
Kylie Howard, Haworth

Law Day
The law can both protect and limit a person's ability to achieve the American Dream. On one hand, excessive licensing requirements and costly regulations can prevent people from starting their own businesses. On the other hand, the Bill of Rights protects important freedoms, such as the right to own property and the freedom of speech. When government agencies are inefficient or slow, they can also limit economic growth and cause frustration for citizens.

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First Place
Anna Alexander, Glencoe

Ratification Day Excitement
The wind cut my face as I stepped outside the doorway. Brrrr, I thought as I adjusted my jacket. Just then, the sound of loud cheering reached me, mixed with the sound of loud booing. Curious about the noise, I wandered over to investigate the commotion, and maybe see what it was all about. I hurried down the cobblestone road and soon reached the crowd. When I came into sight of my destination and saw an announcer proclaiming news, I immediately realized what was going on. The constitution must have been ratified! That would also explain the mixed reactions. It was in New Jersey in the winter of 1787, where I lived with my family. I was excited. I had been wanting to look into it, but my parents were too busy. I found it interesting how they would make a government that wouldn't just turn out like England.

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Second Place
Liliana O'Kelley, Lawton

The Ash Spangled Skyline
The sky was a navy dusk tattered with ash. But this ash wasn't threatening. The ash didn't waft at me and nip at my heels like ash from an uncontrolled fire does. The ash represented the freedom and pursuit of happiness that laid upon the soil I stood upon. The ash was from fireworks, converting the sky with flickering, colorful lights that lit up my eyes like a Christmas tree does when you first tum off the lights and gaze at it. I felt a euphoria that couldn't be recreated by anything else, and as I gazed at the blooming, crackling flowers above me, I reflected on what this meant.

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First Place
Serenity Duvall, Spiro

Oklahoma Statehood and American Dream: Brought Together or Forced Apart?
November 16, 1907, Oklahoma officially became the 46th state of the United States of America. Many groups of people were forced to live under one set of laws, but did everyone agree? Were they able to achieve the American Dream?

Unfortunately, the first law passed after Oklahoma became a state, involved segregation. The bill was known as the coach bill, and it was mandated that all public transportation must provide and enforce separate coaches, and waiting rooms for black and white patrons. This forced citizens apart rather than together.

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Second Place
Sophia Barrios, Pauls Valley

The Blurred Dream
America discussed a dream big and bright,
Where anyone could reach to grab its light.
But after Reconstruction, laws pushed achievements out of sight.

Colored families tried their best to build their futures to progress and grow,
But Jim Crow split the schools and streets, and people had no say in the flow.
Clarifying that the word "equal" was just another word that the law would not bestow.

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Honorable Mention
Azariah Young, Haworth

The Law and the Dream
They told us of a shining dream,
But life is harder than it seems.
Bills rise fast, while wages stay,
And hope feels further every day.

The law was meant to make things fair,
To lift us up, to show it cares.
But justice stalls, and trust runs thin,
When power speaks and truth can't win.

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First Place
Stephen L. Hall, Oklahoma City

Successes of Freedom: A comparison of the American and Haitian Revolutions
The American Revolution and Haitian Revolution both emerged from Enlightenment ideals and challenged imperial rule. Yet they pursued fundamentally different visions of equality and law for its citizens. This paper will compare the success of the American Revolution in establishing durable democratic institutions, but it continued to also preserve deep social inequalities. But, on the other hand, the Haitian Revolution achieved a far more radical transformation by abolishing slavery and redefining universal human rights. Together, these revolutions reveal contrasting paths toward liberty and the complex legacies of revolutionary change.

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Second Place
Brekken Youngberg, Broken Arrow

Freedom Written in Fire
August 1793 - Saint-Domingue
I do not know if what I am writing is dangerous, but everything feels dangerous now. For as long as I can remember, the law told me I was not a person. It told me I could be owned, traded, punished, erased. I learned early that survival meant silence. Now the law is changing, and silence feels just as terrifying as speaking.

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Honorable Mention
Zadie Holland, Lawton

Fairness, Right?
The American Dream is surely something everyone strives for, but it is not something everyone can get, nor has it ever been. The idea of living one's life with love, safety, wealth, freedom, and stability is a goal anyone logical would want. This same goal is so simple that even one hundred and fifty years ago, the constructs were valued just the same. Though, for some, this dream was unattainable. No matter how hard they tried, the system was against them. The legal system, society, their peers and neighbors, more often than not, were all against them.

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First Place
Aubrey Hastings, Broken Arrow

June 3, 1910
Macon, Georgia
I’ve been meaning to write for a while now. There’s been so much weighing on me lately that I figured putting pen to paper might help me breathe a little easier. At least these words are mine, and no one can take them from me.

This morning starts like most others. I woke up before the sun rose, my back aching from another restless night on the old, stiff cot. Mama was already awake and in the kitchen, stirring the pot of grits for breakfast. My younger siblings were still asleep, curled up under the patched blankets and quilts, unaware of the long day we have ahead. Outside, the fields stretched wide and they stood still. The only sound that shook the static air was the creaking of the porch steps, as Papa stepped out with his Bible in one hand and his worn work boots in the other.

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Second Place
Maddy Bussey, Erick

Tīng nǐ shuō (It’s Up To You)
October 27, 1950
In my old age, it is difficult to bring back. my childhood memories. I hardly remember my friends in the alley. My mind confuses dreams with memories. I can no longer recall the name of my favorite teacher. However, the 24th day of October, 1871 is a stain on my brain that will not be scrubbed clean until death itself consumes me. And death is not yet 2 feet behind me, ready to halt the beat of my heart. So I write this day of my past and my adulthood that follows in a journal before my time comes, for your eyes only. I hope these memories serve you with a new perspective, rather than the pain that it has served me.

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Honorable Mention
Raquel Todd, Vici

Eagle and River
My mother chose my name carefully. She said Awohali means eagle, a bird meant to watch over others and lead when the time is right. Rivers, she told me, was a reminder that responsibility is about giving life and support, the way water does for the land around it. She believed that one day I would be expected to lead and to care for others, even when it was difficult. When I was younger, I didn't think much about it. Now that I am eighteen, I understand why she worried so much about the name she gave me.

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First Place
Javan A. Greco, Bristow

The Heavenly Rebellion, final days
March 24th, 1864
I have now had my first taste of battle; enemies are at the walls of Tianjing.

I, Muchen Xiao, have lived in the heavenly capital from before the Taiping came. I am not a member of the. religion officially, but I have lived under it and worked for them, I know the Imperial army will not differentiate such people from the real rebels. My brother Zu has gone off with the army, and I have heard no report of his fate as of yet.

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Second Place
Cassandra Adkisson, Cromwell

February 3rd, 1793
It is cold today. My hands are stiff, but there is too much to write about, so I will push through. Arthur told me that I should stop, that this journal would bring us trouble. I can not stop, though. Every day, the streets become less safe. Only two weeks ago, they strung King Louis by his neck at the public garrison. I had not wanted to go, but Arthur had insisted it would look bad if we did not. I suppose that was true. They do not take lightly to any signs of disobedience, or of rebellion. It had been a brutal affair, and when the rope snapped taut, I could not resist burying my face into Arthur's arm.

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Honorable Mention
Edison Reyes, Oklahoma City

American Opportunities by Judicial Review
The American dream and its opportunities have been fundamental for this nation, and with that comes legal systems that protects our nations citizens and rule of law from any unconstitutional acts from our government. That is when Judicial Review comes into to protect the American dream.

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