The Archibald Bulloch Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution recognized local DAR Good Citizens and outstanding Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) participants in high school and college at the April meeting.
        The DAR also recognized two women of six that were selected as firsts in their field in Bulloch County, honored during March's meeting, but were unable to attend at that time.
        Diane Allen, chairman of DAR's Good Citizen Committee, announced the finalists from each school. Allen said, "I must say that in this unpredictable world we are living in today, young people like these being honored here give me hope for the future."
        The purpose of the program is to recognize one senior from each of the local public and private high schools in Bulloch County who has demonstrated the qualities of a good citizen.
        "Students who were selected exemplify the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism in their personal lives and school lives," Allen said.
        After being selected, the students submit two letters of reference and their official school transcript and participate in the DAR Good Citizen essay contest. Students wrote this year on the topic, "Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It."
        Trish Tootle and Faye Rourks, representing Farmers and Merchants Bank, the sponsor of the Good Citizen award, presented $50 checks to the runners-up and $100 to the overall winner. Each student received a certificate of participation, a DAR Good Citizen pin and a recognition card.
        Receiving awards for 2017 DAR Good Citizen were Evan Amaral, Bulloch Academy; Amy Cooper, Southeast Bulloch High School; Jessica Deloach, Statesboro STEAM; Ashtin Johnson, Statesboro High School; Mystie McDaniel, Portal High School; and Lauren McNure, Trinity Christian School.
Evan Amaral was the overall Good Citizen finalist.
        Also on the program, the DAR presented medals and campaign bars to graduating seniors, chosen by their commanding officers in consultation with their principal that have demonstrated loyalty and patriotism toward their country and have earned a record of military and scholastic achievement.
        The ROTC participants also received a $50 cash award made possible through the support of Citizen's Bank of the South.
        Presenter of the awards, local DAR National Defense Committee member Martha Ray said, "All of these students were selected by their supervisors based on their good character, loyalty, patriotism, dependability and high scholastic and military training success. Our country is blessed to have such young people ready and able to serve their community and their country during conflict and in peace."
        Cadet Shirley Senefeld, GSU student, has served as Company Commander and was recently accepted into Georgia Southern University's nursing program. Senefeld plans to be an active duty nurse upon graduation. Her summer plans include traveling to Thailand on an ROTC funded mission to work with the Thai military and teach English.
        Cadet Joanne Walker, Statesboro High School, plans to attend the University of North Georgia as an ROTC cadet and will major in international affairs.
        Metter High School Cadet Mya LaShay Collins will attend Georgia Military College and plans to become a commissioned officer in the United States Army.
        Southeast Bulloch High School Cadet Victoria Pacheco plans to attend Embry-Riddle in Prescott, Arizona and major in aerospace engineering. Her proudest moment came when she was honored as an Iron Woman.
        The two women honored at the March meeting in conjunction with Women's History Month for first in their field but were unable to attend were Dr. Dawn Cartee and Rep. Jan Tankersley. As mentioned during the March meeting, Cartee served at Ogeechee Technical College's first woman president and worked in various capacities at OTC for 26 years before serving at Southeastern Technical College in Vidalia as Executive Vice-President for Academic Affairs.
        Tankersley first held office as a member of the Brooklet City Council and discovered she enjoyed working in the political arena. She later ran for the soon-to-be vacant seat of retiring state Rep. Bob Lane. Winning that election cast her as the first woman to be elected to serve as the District 160 Republican representative for Bulloch and Bryan counties.