Yes, teenagers communicate by texting or posting on social media, but many local youths are talented and creative writers as evidenced by the recent submissions to the annual essay contest presented by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. As part of this year's challenge, local middle and high school students were asked to address the question "What does the word liberty mean to you?"

Winners of the essay contest were invited to read their entries during an Independence Day celebration held at Hopewell on July 4. The event also featured the singing of the national anthem by Molly Herman and the presentation of colors by local Boy and Girl Scout troops.

The high school winners were Aarush Shah, first place, Spring-Ford Area High School; Abigail Smith, second place, Owen J. Roberts High School; and Rachelle Toaldo, third place, Exeter Township Senior High School. The middle school winners were Samarth Mangal, first place, Renaissance Academy; Kartikeya Rawat, second place, Spring-Ford 7th Grade Center; and Hana Ismail, third place, Commonwealth Charter Academy. All of the students, with the exception of Kartikeya, were on hand to read their essays. Kartikeya's essay was read by park ranger Patti Shenk.

Jeff Jones, site manager, welcomed those in attendance, who gathered on the front lawn of the Ironmaster's Mansion. "With the volume of options one has to spend on July 4, we are pleased and honored that you chose to spend a portion of this special day with us here at Hopewell Furnace," he stated. "It is always fitting and proper to gather on this day to remember the origins of our nation and the specific documents issued nearly two and a half centuries ago."

He also explained the rules of the essay contest. "Over the past spring, we conducted our third annual writing challenge," he stated. "We asked students in middle and high school from the 16 closest school districts to submit an essay based on a prompt related to the Declaration of Independence. The meaning of (liberty) can vary depending on the situation and the perception of the individuals using that word."

He noted that the essay contest has grown, adding that Abigail has participated in all three years of the contest and her essay was the first one ever submitted.

"We more than doubled the number of submissions this year with more than 70 entries," Jones reported. "Reading and ranking these 70-plus essays were judges Jared Barndt of French Creek State Park, Joel Moore from the Friends of Hopewell Furnace and Francine Fulton from the Community Courier."

In their essays, both Aarush and Samarth said that 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," Aarush wrote. "It's like catching a peek of the rays of sun after a long night, filling my soul with warmth and hope."

"(Liberty) is a feeling. It is the flame upheld by Lady Liberty's torch," Samarth's essay stated.

The event also included a performance of the song "Here's to the Brave" presented by Mekhi Bloodworth of Phoenixville Area High School, who submitted an original music piece rather than the traditional written essay.

After the essay readings, audience members volunteered to read the Declaration of Independence line by line using printouts of the document provided by Jones.

Each of the essay contest winners was presented with a framed certificate and a cash prize provided by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace. To read all of the essays in their entirety, visit www.nps.gov/hofu/index.htm and scroll down to "2024 Independence Day Writing Challenge."

Hopewell Furnace is located at 2 Mark Bird Lane, Elverson. The park's facilities are currently open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the park is free. For more information, call 610-582-8773 or visit the previously mentioned website.