Fourth of July Essay winners announced

Congratulations to Barrington Fourth of July essay contest winners Emma Bradford, David Nowak and Grant Walsh.

They were selected as the winners of their age categories in a contest tied to the theme of Barrington's Fourth of July parade: "In the Footsteps of Lincoln."

Emma, 9, is a fourth-grader at Lines School and the winner of the 9-11 age category. David and Grant are both 13-year-old seventh-graders at Barrington Middle School-Prairie Campus and co-winners of the 12-14 age category.

Emma's essay took the form of a modern-day interview with Lincoln, citing both the hardships of his life and his passion for social justice.

David's piece observed the true qualities of leadership in Lincoln's character. David recognized that the 16th president didn't merely maintain the nation for his term of office, but laid out and fulfilled a new vision for improvement.

Grant's essay took a very personal approach to the idea of following in Lincoln's footsteps. For Grant, honoring Lincoln isn't just recognizing his historical accomplishments but applying his lessons to everyday life in the 21st century.