Dylan Deo, fourth grade student at Lakeridge Elementary School, won first place in the district and state categories for this year’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) essay contest.

A total of 22 students (18 from Lakeridge Elementary and three from Dimmitt Middle School) also won awards in the local category in the annual student essay contest. This year’s essay theme was: “Why are men and women who serve in the military special?”

Deo also won a $150 cash prize.