Three local students earned high marks for their essays submitted to the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

In the elementary/middle school category, two Clallam County students won first place with their pieces that remembered the “War to End All Wars” (World War I): seventh-grade homeschooler Reice Elsasser-Donaldson, and fifth-grader Kendall Mitchell from Hamilton Elementary in Port Angeles.

The High School DAR Essay Contest is in coordination with the National Italian American Foundation, and included the topic, “Advantages and Disadvantage of Working Relationships Between Foreign Parties.” Sequim High School student Olivia Preston took top honors in this contest.

The trio of students were honored at DAR’s George Washington Tea Feb. 17 in Port Angeles.

In addition, both Preston and Elsasser-Donaldson have been awarded first place in Washington state, and may compete for a national DAR prize.