CLARKSVILLE, TN – When Immaculate Conception School (ICS) Eighth Grader Cailynn Runyon turned in her essay to the Middle School Language Arts teacher, the thought of winning a contest was not top of mind.
The Annual Essay Contest was sponsored by the Clarksville Chapter of Kiwanis International. As in years past, students were tasked with interviewing a veteran and using that interview to respond to a question. The question for 2023 middle school students contest was “What qualities of this veteran inspired me to be a better person?”
Private and public secondary schools in Montgomery County took advantage of the contest to inspire their students to craft their answer to the question. Over 8,000 students entered the middle school contest and Cailynn’s essay earned her recognition as the Grand Winner for Middle School.
Since Clarksville borders Kentucky and is called home for many of the troops stationed at Fort Campbell, you can’t go too far without finding a veteran. Many of ICS’s students are affiliated with the military by immediate or extended family. Middle School Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Alma Martinez, helped her students by inviting nine veterans and active duty servicemembers to ICS to participate in a panel, in the school chapel. The students completed a workshop on how to conduct an interview and generated interview questions to propose to the panel. Then students formed small groups and were able to ask more in-depth and personal questions.
When Cailynn interviewed a retired Army Officer, Robert Volkman, with 21 years of service to our country, she developed a richer appreciation of what a military career requires; not only of the servicemember, but the family as well. Army veteran Volkman and his family have called Clarksville home since before his retirement from the Army. His wife Linda is a retired teacher from ICS. Cailynn has known Robert Volkman and his family for many years. As she states in her essay, “I have known him since I was in second grade, when we started a game of tag.”
Cailynn’s parents, Julie and Ray Runyon, are overjoyed at the recognition she has received. “We remember her first day at Immaculate Conception Pre-School,” her elated mother shared, “and now she’ll be starting high school next year. It has all gone so fast. The education Cailynn received at both the IC Pre-school and ICS has prepared her for the challenges she will encounter as she grows.”
Principal, Mrs. Kathleen Falk stated, “We appreciate all our veterans and the effort made by our students to identify the positive traits demonstrated by those who devote their lives to the service of our nation. I am appreciative of the opportunity our students were given during their essay writing process. After reading several I have a new appreciation of the sacrifices our families make when their parents say yes to join the service and to protect our country.”
New to Clarksville and Tennessee Mrs. Falk said, “I’m loving my time here at ICS. It is a great school! The faculty and staff work hard to nurture the academic ability of each student and the parent support is impressive. More academic achievements like Cailynn’s are just the beginning. She has set the bar high, and we are excited to build on her success.”
Cailynn was recognized at a luncheon hosted by the Clarksville Kiwanis Club on Tuesday 7 November, where she read her essay to the attendees. She was accompanied by Mrs. Kathleen Falk, and Ms. Kathy Kerchief, Middle School Social Studies and Religion Teacher. Mrs. Alma Martinez, the middle school Language Arts Teacher, was recognized as well for her creative approach to the interview process for the students at ICS.