Sasha Claire Langley from Chatham High School was presented the DAR Good Citizen Award by the Hendrick Hudson Chapter
December 12, 2024, Hudson, NY: Every December, the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution gives Good Citizen awards to Columbia County high school seniors who have been selected by each of their schools as their DAR Good Citizen. Awardees for the 2024-2025 school year are, in alphabetical order by high schools:
Sasha Claire Langley, Chatham High School: Autumn BethAnne Hopkins, Hudson High School: and Chase Daryl Maxon, New Lebanon JRSR High School.
From these three students, Sasha Claire Langley was presented the DAR Good Citizen Award by the Hendrick Hudson chapter. The December 8th ceremony at the chapter house in Hudson was attended by the students, their families and teachers, and chapter members.
The Good Citizen Award and Scholarship Contest of the Daughters of the American Revolution was created in 1934. It encourages and rewards qualities of good citizenship shown by high school seniors from accredited high schools all throughout the United States. These schools select students who demonstrate dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism in their homes, schools, and communities.
This year’s scholarship essay was entitled: “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It,” with this focus: “Service is an essential attribute of a good citizen. Discuss how service can foster a strong sense of community and strengthen our American Identity.” The essays were judged by a three-person panel of community members who are independent non-DAR individuals. All are retired educators.
Speaking of the chapter’s winner Sasha Claire Langley, Good Citizen Committee Chair MaryAnne Lee said,
“It’s been said of this year’s winner that she is always the first person to volunteer to help others and is incredibly reliable when doing so. Her energy is warm, uplifting, and contagious. Her natural compassion and empathy bring out the best in those around her. It’s hard to have a bad day when she is around.
“As a Student Representative on the Board of Education it has been noted that she identifies the needs of her classmates and effectively collaborates with the other members of the student government to deliver on those needs. She not only demonstrates leadership qualities but also qualities of character.
“These redeeming qualities don’t just begin and end in the classroom; they include giving back to her community. She has said one of her biggest beliefs is that everyone in America should have access to food. She delivers on that belief by volunteering with different organizations to make sure food is accessible to those in need. She was instrumental in helping to organize a Red Cross blood drive. She volunteers as a coach for a local soccer program and volunteers as a tutor at school. She dedicates her time to helping regularly in various church activities and is there to help her grandparents.”
Each of the three students received a certificate, a monetary award, a Good Citizen’s pin, and a wallet-size card. Lee said, “I’m so pleased to tell you that the commitment shown by each of this year’s recipients to their schools, to their communities, to their families and to their overall academic excellence is inspiring. Each expresses a common belief that giving back through service and volunteering can and will build a stronger better America.”
The Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the DAR was founded in 1895. The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is a nonpartisan organization welcoming eligible women without regard to race, creed, or religion, and its mission is to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. The Hendrick Hudson Chapter includes more than 130 members who trace their lineage back to a patriot in the American Revolution–whether serving as soldier, shopkeeper, or seamstress. In accordance with the National Society DAR, members work to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the women and men who achieved American independence, to promote the development of an enlightened public opinion, and to foster patriotic citizenship.
The chapter owns and maintains its meeting house, the Historic Robert Jenkins House, at 113 Warren Street in Hudson. The chapter and the chapter house can be accessed at hudson-dar.org, facebook.com/HudsonDAR, instagram.com/robertjenkinshouse, hendrickhudsonchapterdar@gmail.com, and (518) 828-9764.
Hendrick Hudson Chapter, NSDAR 