GHS Graduate Wins Civics Essay Contest

Sunday, June 13, 2021

KNOXVILLE - The winner of the Third Annual Federal Court Civics Essay Contest will be honored at a Celebration to be held at 2:30 p.m. on June 21 at the James H. Quillen United States Courthouse in Greeneville, according to a news release.

The 2021 winner is K'Lee Bryant, a 2021 graduate of Greeneville High School. Bryant is the daughter of Melissa Bryant. A cash prize of $500 will be awarded to Bryant at the celebration.

The contest was open to public, private, and home-school high school students in 24 East Tennessee counties. Contest sponsors are the court's Civics and Outreach Committee and the Federal Bar Association chapters in Knoxville and Greeneville.

This year's essay prompt noted the long history of oaths required of public officeholders and naturalized United States citizens and asked the question, "What does it mean to support and defend the Constitution and is the oath different for different groups?" As stated by Bryant in her essay, taking an oath to support and defend the Constitution "means one distinct thing: pledging to hold the Constitution in reverence and to preserve it in keeping the republic in the United States working and developing as it grows and ages."

The local contests were coordinated with the national essay contest sponsored by the Federal Bar Association. More information is posted on the court's Connections website at www.connections.tned.uscourts.gov.