DOWAGIAC — Three students from Dowagiac Middle School have been named winners in the 49th annual America and Me Essay Contest sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance.

The three students who earned the first, second and third place awards for their school are Taylor Wimberley, who earned first place, Chloe Hill, who earned second place, and Jada Shields, who earned third place. All three received award certificates for their achievement. As the school’s first place winner, Wimberley’s name will be engraved on a plaque for permanent display at the school.

The America and Me Essay Contest was started in 1968 and is open to all Michigan eighth-grade students. The topic of this year’s contest was “My Personal Michigan Hero.”

Dowagiac Middle School’s participation in the America and Me Essay Contest was sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance agent Jeff Neumann of Dowagiac.

Wimberley’s first-place essay will now advance to the state level competition, from which the top 10 essays in Michigan will be selected. The top 10 statewide winners, who will be announced in April, will each receive a plaque, a medallion and a cash award of $1,000. In addition, the top 10 essayists will be honored at a banquet in Lansing, Michigan, meet with Michigan’s top governmental leaders and be the featured guests at a Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball game dedicated in their honor.

A team of finalist judges that includes a top Michigan government official and the sponsoring teachers of last year’s top two statewide winners will determine the ranking of the top 10 statewide winners.

Several thousand eighth-grade students from more than 350 Michigan schools participated in the 2017-2018 America and Me Essay Contest, which was conducted with the help of Farm Bueau Insurance Agents across the state.