Lansing USD469 is proud to announce that our very own Ali Swanson-Kolb, a seventh-grade student at Lansing Middle School and daughter of Dr. Jennifer Kolb, principal of Lansing Elementary School, has earned a prestigious second-place award in the international Past is Prologue Essay Contest. This contest, hosted by the American Battle Monuments Foundation (ABMF), invites young people to reflect on pivotal moments from World War II, connecting the lessons of history to their lives today.
Ali competed in the 11-12 age group, writing her essay on WWII Operation Bodyguard Deception & Misdirection, a complex campaign designed to mislead the Nazis regarding the location and timing of the D-Day invasion. Her thoughtful response to the contest's mandatory questions—what we should know about this historical event today and its relevance to her life—earned her the second-place spot from the competition's judges. Ali's essay stood out among more than 700 submissions from students.
"We are incredibly proud of Ali for earning 2nd place in the ABMF national essay contest," said Principal Brooks Jenkins. "This remarkable achievement highlights the hard work, creativity, and dedication put forth by Ali and her teachers at Lansing Middle School and the Lansing School District. We are thrilled to see this talent recognized on a national level!"
In recognition of her achievement, representatives from the American Battle Monuments Foundation will visit Lansing Middle School in mid-October to personally congratulate Alexandria in front of her peers. During this special presentation, Alexandria will be awarded a $2,500 prize. We will be sharing pictures of the event on our website, so watch for more information!
The American Battle Monuments Foundation sponsors this contest as part of its mission to preserve the legacy of over 230,000 American service members who gave their lives and are memorialized overseas.
Click here for more information about the essay contest and American Battle Monuments Foundation.
Here is the official press release from the American Battle Monuments Foundation:
DENVER (September 24) – Alexandria S-K. of Leavenworth, Kansas is the 2nd Prize winner of the Past is Prologue Essay Contest in the 11-12 age group. The contest is sponsored by the American Battle Monuments Foundation (abmf.org), the non-profit organization that supports the federal agency responsible for all 26 American military cemeteries and 31 monuments overseas. (abmc.gov)
Nearly 234,000 American service members are buried or memorialized (remains missing) at ABMC hallowed sites away from the homeland.
For the 2024 contest, students could choose to write about one of two topics: 1) WWII Operation Bodyguard – the deception campaign to fool the Nazis as to when and from where the D-Day invasion would occur, or 2) WWII Achieving Air Dominance that enabled the D-Day invasion - how the B-17 “Flying Fortress” bomber, the P51 Mustang fighter jet, and the C47 Skytrain troop carrier worked together to ensure air dominance over the English Channel and the Normandy coast.
Importantly, Essay Contest participants must answer two mandatory questions: What should we know today about that event in history? And, what is the relevance of that event to your life today? There are no “right” answers to these questions, but students, along their adult editor, are asked to contemplate a deeper meaning of the topic.
Alexandria wrote about WW II Operation Bodyguard Deception & Misdirection.
“It’s never OK to hurt people because of what they believe,” says Ali. About the contest, she noted, “I really enjoyed it. I like writing and I really like social studies. I have had wonderful teachers like Mrs. Evans my social studies teacher and Ms. Szmed my literature and language arts teacher.”
More than 700 students applied to compete in the ABMF Past is Prologue Essay Contest. Essays went through three reviews by qualified volunteer judges. A cash prize is awarded to the winners.
See a video montage of the winners and read the winning essays.
Information about the 2025 Past is Prologue Essay Contest will be posted in January.