Wimer has been

accepted at the University of Georgia and Southern Methodist University,

Dallas, Texas, and plans to major in economics and mathematics. She is

president of the Art Club and works as a volunteer for children with autism,

and the Boys and Girls Club of Coweta County.

The Good Citizen

Award and Scholarship Program is part of the annual NSDAR Good Citizen

Essay Program. Those submitting proctored and independently judged essays

on the topic "our American heritage and our responsibility to preserve

it" were eligible for the scholarship.

Wimer's essay,

which has been submitted for further consideration at the NSDAR/Georgia

District level, follows:

"The United

States of America is a nation of great honor. It is a nation in which

every American has the freedom to stand for his beliefs. Set apart from

British rule, the newly founded America provided freedom for American

beliefs beyond British rule. The Constitution of the United States set

a government for which every American citizen has representation. The

Constitution set forth a government under which the citizens of the Unites

States abide today. Our American heritage is based on our freedoms and

our dreams of a better society; therefore, it is the responsibility for

the citizens of the United States to preserve our American heritage.

"Our American

heritage is attributed to the Bill of Rights. The freedom of speech is

guaranteed to every American citizen. The freedom to speak for one's beliefs

of a better nation is why our nation carries such great honor. There are

few nations where a person has the freedom to speak against the majority

and to support his passionate beliefs. The Unites States is a nation in

which a person may do so. It is the responsibility of every American citizen

not to abridge these rights and to continue the American tradition.

"Many

people have given everything in hopes of bettering their lives in America.

Some of these are the thousands of people from all over Europe who migrated

through Ellis Island to the United States in hopes of experiencing the

freedom of faith in a new beginning in America.

"The freedom

of religion is a freedom many countries of the world do not have the privilege

of experience. The countries of the Middle East are continually fighting

for the freedom of expressing their own beliefs and of making their own

decisions. At times, it is quite difficult to imagine the uproar that

is felt among those countries, making it even more essential for America

to preserve our American heritage.

"The citizens

of the United States, past and present, have united to support the decisions

that their fellow citizens have made and continue to make. Many of our

fellow Americans have risked their lives for our country. Each gives the

courage and the strength to stand for their beliefs and support other

nations to have the rights and the freedoms of their own. Our American

heritage is representative of our nation's freedoms and history; therefore,

it is the responsibility of every American citizen to preserve the American

tradition."