Tollefson Third in Patriot's Pen Contest

The final entry in the 2024 VFW Patriot's Pen Essay belongs to Jace Tollefson of Malta. This is his winning entry. He received as award of $50 for his entry.

How America Inspires Me

By Jace Tollefson

"America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor." - Paul Tsongas. America is a country that a lot of people feel very proud about. It is a country known for

freedom and excellence and I am proud of it.

I am proud of all the products that we have created for our benefit. In America, there are so many things that we have created for our benefit. Some of the things that we made we use in our everyday lives. Also, some of these things are very creative and cool and I use them quite often.

America inspires me to dream big and believe in myself. In the United States, people have proven that almost anything can be accomplished. There have also been several surprises with crazy improbable things from people who just believed in themselves. I mean why believe that you cannot do something because of your height, or skin color, or if you grew up in poverty?

America inspires me to do well in school and get a good education. We have a lot of smart leaders who have accomplished several challenges in America. I am inspired by all of the geniuses that America has produced and they have done so much good for this country and even a lot of good for the world. In America doing well in school and getting a really good education opens so many opportunities for you. It's incredible, with a good education the possibilities are almost endless. These are all of the reasons why America inspires me, and I mean, how could you not be inspired by this beautiful country that I live in?