On Saturday, May 3,2025, Aaden Canler, 7th grade Harmony School student, Isabella Whitlock, Silo 1 ligh School Senior, and Mrs. Tresa Walker, English Language Aits teacher at Harmony, were honored in Durant at the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, District 4, Department of Oklahoma, Quarterly Meeting.
Isabella, a gifted orator, delivered her entry 'Is America Today Our Forefathers’ Vision?’ as part of the nationwide Voice of Democracy Patriotic Audio Essay Competition She was the Durant Post 3916 representative in the district competition.
Miss Whitlock received a cash award, Outstanding Spokesperson for Freedom certificate, and an appreciative ovation from those in attendance. Isabella, die daughter of Cody and Jennifer Whitlock, will be part of the incoming freshman class at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater this fall.
Aaden Canler, son of Adam and Kimberly, is a distinguished member of a large and growing fraternity of patriotic essay writers from Harmony Public School’s 6th through 8th Grade. Over the past several school years. Bulldogs from Mrs. Walker’s English Language Arts classes have participated in Patriot's Pen, die nationwide patriotic written essay competition.
Sponsored by die Veterans of Foreign Wins, prizes and scholarships are awarded at die post, district, state, and national level. Last year more than seventy thousand students around the world participated- Aaden’s essay, entitled “My Voice in America’s Democracy”, was one of over thirty submitted from Harmony, with nine receiving cash awards from Atoka Post 4859, and one of two selected for onward competition.
Aaden’s essay won first place from schools representing eight odier posts throughout Southeastern Oklahoma’s District 4. Aaden received his first-place certificate and cash prize, from District 4 Commander, James Patterson, Senior Chief Petty Officer USN (Retired).
Mrs Tresa Walker was nominated by the Atoka County Veterans Council, American Lesion Post 48, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4859.
These Atoka veterans' organizations also selected Mrs. Walker as their Teacher of Year for 2024-2025, in recognition of her dedicated classroom instruction, outstanding promotion of civic responsibility, community leadership and involvement, and demonstrated patriotism.
“Mrs. Walker cares deeply about her students, enthusiastically working with them inside the classroom and out for more than twenty-seven years. Generations of students have benefited from her passionate efforts to stimulate within diem an interest in English, music, and faith, as well as her keen interest and involvement in their personal well-being,” commented the Atoka Veteran’s Counci
