Over the spring of 2024 Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, in collaboration with the Friends of Hopewell Furnace, conducted its third annual essay writing contest for middle and high schoolers in the local school districts. Below are this year's winning submissions.
Along with cash prizes provided by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace, the students were invited to read their essays at the annual Independence Day commemoration ceremony in the park.
2024 prompt: What does the word “liberty” mean to you?
High School Group
1st Place – Aarush Shah Spring-Ford Area High School
For me, liberty is more than just a word; it is the beat of my heart, the music that guides my feet, and the paste that connects me to the world around me. It's like catching a peek of the rays of sun after a long night, filling my soul with warmth and hope.
Growing up, liberty meant being true to myself, exploring the winding paths of who I am without fear or restraint. Liberty was the feeling of standing on the edge of the unknown, ready to dive into the massive expanse of possibilities that lie before me. Liberty allowed me to accept my differences, appreciate my talents, and learn from my failures, knowing that each setback was simply a step on the path to self-discovery.
But liberty is more than just human life; it is about the interconnection of all living things. It is the understanding that my freedom is closely linked to the freedom of others, that my pleasure connects with theirs, and that my hardships reflect their suffering. Liberty is the thread that connects humanity over time and circumstance. For me, liberty is associated with compassion and understanding. It's about finding the humanity in everyone I encounter, regardless of their background or opinions. It's about reaching out to people who are stereotyped or oppressed, fighting for justice, and speaking out against oppression.
Throughout history, the pursuit of liberty has served as a factor for social change and human rights campaigns. It has been the guiding light that has inspired people to stand up to cruel governments, revoke unjust laws, and create better, more inclusive communities. Liberty is the heartbeat of resistance, the lifeline of revolution, and the hope for a better tomorrow. When I look around, I sense liberty in every act of kindness, moment of peace, and struggle for freedom. I see it in the faces of people who refuse to be silenced or suppressed, and those who rise above hardship to strive for a society in which everyone can achieve success.
Ultimately, liberty is what gives life meaning and purpose. It is the freedom to love whoever we choose, worship as we please, and pursue our goals with passion. It is the belief that everyone is entitled to a life of dignity and respect, one that is free of fear, prejudice, and oppression. Let us welcome liberty with open hearts and minds, recognizing that it holds the promise of a more colorful, fairer world for everyone. Liberty is more than just a word; it is the beating heart of humanity, calling us to live with courage, compassion, and determination.
2nd Place – Abigail Smith Owen J. Roberts High School
Liberty is the blueprint that allows one to construct a castle, the melody that lets birds sing, and the heartbeat that pumps passion through the body. It is the freedom of ability and possibility: the difference between fate and free will. The power of this freedom transcends societal expectations of what is possible and ignites the ability to determine purpose and achieve prosperity. Liberty is the foundation of the American Dream, for all Americans should have an equal opportunity to discover their purpose and pursue it to the fullest extent. Out of the 341,422,149 people in The United States of America, each person defines liberty differently; ironically, the freedom for each individual to follow their own definition is liberty itself.
The Fourth of July is a celebration of the origins of this liberty. Behind the extravagant parades, delectable barbeque cuisine, and colorful explosions that light up the sky, the true meaning of Independence Day is found in The Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson’s famous words echo in the ears of all Americans. He declares “that all men are created equal,” and “that their creator endows them with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Determined catalysts fought and continue to fight for equality for all people, no matter their race, gender, religion, or other defining factors. Because of these brave souls, the definition of liberty constantly changes and expands. On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln dissertated his famous “Gettysburg Address,” stating, “This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.” This demonstrates how when more people have access to liberty, our country becomes stronger. All people should have access to freedom, but even when this liberty falters, The Bill of Rights and additional amendments ensure it returns to its rightful meaning.
I am overwhelmingly thankful for my liberty and the people who fought for me to have access to this beautiful gift. Without the 19th Amendment, I would have never had the opportunity to vote in my first election this year. Without Title IX, I would have never had the opportunity to compete in 18 consecutive school sports seasons, which have greatly shaped who I am today. Without my freedom of education, I could not attend college at the University of Pennsylvania in a few months or follow my passions and curiosities. The liberty to learn and grow is what makes life worth living, and an absence of learning is an absence of life.
Liberty fosters individuality and stimulates creativity for all people to be themselves. In the words of William Penn, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” We have all the power of the world at our fingertips. Because of liberty, we can do anything that we dream of, but many of us are scared to do what we find meaningful. I challenge all of you. What will you do with your liberty? What castle will you build with your blueprint?
3rd Place – Rachelle Toaldo Exeter Township Senior High School
Many words in the English language can be personalized. There, of course, is a definition (or two or three) of each word found in the dictionary. However, what those words mean beyond the textbook is up to each individual's interpretation. According to the dictionary, the definition of liberty is as follows: the freedom from physical restraint; the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges. The real meaning, however, is truly evident when you connect the definition to your own life and experience. When I think of the word liberty, a few images and ideas come to mind immediately. I think about patriotism and of a bright, beautiful, sunny summer day, with the American flag flying, and the smell of fresh cut grass in the air. I think of open land, the national anthem, and of course, the Statue of Liberty herself. These settings and symbols are not only visual, but also instill an irreplaceable nostalgia in me. They have the ability to make me feel as though I am back to seven years old, barefoot at a backyard barbecue, and jumping in the pool without a worry in the world. The feeling is that of being free. And to me, that is what liberty is all about. It's being able to enjoy the little things that we take for granted every day, and knowing that we can enjoy those things tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. It feels like a breath of fresh air, and a moment in time when everything is okay. When I think about liberty more deeply, I am reminded of the reason I am blessed to have it. I think of all of our men and women who fought and still fight so that we can experience the feeling of freedom, and we are able to raise our American flag. Attaining liberty wasn't an easy feat, but our grandfathers knew that nothing worth value comes easy. Liberty is why we have the concept of the American dream. We know that we have the ability to accomplish whatever we put our minds to, because there is nothing that holds anyone back from their liberties. At the end of the day, liberty is more than just a definition in the dictionary, more than a statue, and more than the American flag. It's the feeling of hope, pride, and freedom all in one, and I am so blessed and grateful to be able to have it.
Middle School Group
1st Place – Samarth Mangal Renaissance Academy
Liberty is not just a “word” to me - it is a feeling. It is the flame upheld by Lady Liberty’s torch.
My liberty - the freedom to be me - is the result of centuries of struggle and hard work, as soldiers have served endlessly so that citizens like me could feel protected and live our lives without worrying about tomorrow.
When the flame holds strong, liberty’s three syllables are enough to ignite feelings of pride and honor, emotions that I feel as a United States born citizen. I cherish any opportunity to represent my country - whether it be when I pledge allegiance to our flag at school, when I sing the National Anthem in community events, or when I lead our saluting ceremony in every karate class.
But even fire can flicker. It is heart-breaking to see that in some countries, the tears of the oppressed dampen the light, proving liberty has been extinguished.
In such countries, generally taken-for-granted activities become a matter of life or death - whether that be going to school, riding a bike, or going on a father-and-son walk. Children like me are robbed of their childhood and innocent memories are snatched and replaced with unsettling and trauma-filled ones. Babies grow up used to hearing bombs. Here, I can safely ride the school bus without my parents worrying, learn about all cultures in school, and even roll down a hill for hours if I wish.
Liberty must be protected for all and needs all of us to be its guardians, to preserve it for not only ourselves, but also others. Inspired by the courageous soldiers who left the safe boundaries of our country to uplift others, I hope to, one day, contribute to shielding the flame with my power and education.
2nd Place – Kartikeya Rawat Spring-Ford 7th Grade Center
What is the real meaning of Liberty in 2024?
Many people might have this question in their mind. In my opinion the meaning of Liberty is not that we got “Declaration of Independence” well I think Liberty has thousands of meanings.
Liberty is all about not being afraid to dream big, thinking for humanity, and not even being afraid to walk with a broken slipper with the designer one.
Liberty should be used to change the thinking of the poor bowed-headed people in comparison to the status of the rich or the poor man’s fear after seeing the big mansions. Poor people’s inner feeling of hesitation can be removed only when there will be no status discrimination among both of them “Rich & Poor “.
Liberty should break the cage of the bird of courage.
For me the true meaning of Liberty is cleaning the world of hatred, there should not be any LOC (Line of Control) between humanity and inequality, discrimination of gender inequality, status symbol, there should not be any discrimination between the plate of the poor and the plate of the rich and from fear to think beyond the box for humanity.
We all love freedom whether it’s Social, Financial, Emotional, we all love to be independent, but sometimes we get dependent on emotional level by any circumstances or situations or by behavior of other people toward us, same with social and financially depending on feelings evolving within us whether the circumstances are there or not.
I am not saying that emotionally depending on someone is bad but emotionally getting bounded by them or having a burden of being dependent is not called real Liberty.
So, don’t be afraid, keep moving forward, you will truly find Liberty just a little further away. It’s just like water wherever it go takes a leak so, same leave your mark wherever ”You” go by breaking the cage of the bird of courage to feel the real meaning of Liberty in your life.
3rd Place – Hana Ismail Commonwealth Charter Academy
“Liberty” We’ve all heard of that word before whether it's from the Statue of Liberty or from the Liberty Bell or even the Liberty Mutual ad. But do you know what it means? To start Liberty means Freedom to go where you want or live where you want. Unfortunately, not every country in the world has liberty. One of the most well-known Countries to have Liberty is America which most people know from the iconic symbol also known as the Liberty Statue. For me, Liberty has always had such a profound meaning. As a girl with Immigrant parents, it felt sensational to have a country that we could call home finally without strict restrictions from society. I still remember looking at the Statue of Liberty and thinking “Everyone has the liberty to be here”.
Coming to America was a big decision for my parents as they had to leave all of their family behind. But it was a must my parents wanted to live somewhere where their kids could be free. Free without being told we didn’t belong. Free without the feeling we were under pressure from the Government. Free without being scared that we could leave the country at any time. In the end, they came to America where they soon became U. S citizens. I have always been proud of my Parent’s decision to let us be somewhere where there is liberty. I believe that everyone should have the liberty to be free without prejudice that they don’t belong. Because Liberty means freedom and YOU have the freedom to be where you are and you shouldn’t let someone determine whether or not you have it.
