VERGENNES — Benjamin Curtis has been named the Good Citizen Scholarship Contest winner for Vermont. He received this prestigious award based on letters of reference, school activities, service to community, school transcript, his responses to contest questions, and his future plans. 
As part of the application process, Curtis was required to write an essay without prior knowledge of the subject within a two-hour time limit and without reference material. This year’s essay subject was “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It,” focusing on the  question “You and your peers are our nation’s leaders of tomorrow. How would you energize America’s youth to fully engage as effective citizens? Why is that important?” 
The Vermont State DAR Society awarded Curtis a $500 cash award in recognition of his achievement and as a student who exemplifies the DAR good citizen qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism. He also received a certificate and pin. Curtis was also named the Seth Warner-Rhoda Farrand Chapter’s Good Citizen. At the local level he was awarded a certificate, pin, a chapter award of $25 and, in addition, the chapter’s “Eleanor Pratt Memorial Scholarship” of $250.
Curtis is the son of Jay and Jill Curtis of Vergennes and is a senior at Vergennes Union High School.