Trailblazer: The Legacy of General “Chappie” James
 

Entry to the General Chappie James Essay Competition 2025 is open to students in grades 9-12. ​

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All entries must be submitted by 11:59 pm CST on the submission deadline: Saturday, January 25, 2025. 

Entry is free.

Each essay must not exceed 2000 words. The essay should be saved as a .pdf and emailed to the Fiesta Multicultural Heritage Committee chairman at ginfo.mhc@gmail.com before the deadline.

The filename of your essay must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-SchoolName-Grade.pdf; so, for instance, Jane Doe who attends Washington High School in 9th grade would submit her essay with the following file name:

Jane-Doe-WashingtonHighSchool-Grade9.pdf

Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.

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The candidate's name should NOT appear within the document itself. 

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Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens on December 15, 2024. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of the deadline to avoid any last-minute complications.

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Assessment​

Students’ essays should explore the life and legacy of General Chappie James, and why he is considered a “Trailblazer” in his field and community. Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the Fiesta Multicultural Heritage Committee’s Essay Judges. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud. Our determinations in all such matters are final.

Results​

The writers of the best essays in each grade will be announced at a special ceremony on February 11, 2025.  Scholarships will be given to the first-place essay in each grade level.

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Prizes​
The candidate who submits the best essay overall in each grade will receive a cash scholarship.

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The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

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Key Dates​

• Contest opens: December 15, 2024

• Submission deadline: 11:59pm, Saturday, January 25, 2025

• Winners will be notified on Monday, February 3, 2025.

• Awards ceremony: February 11, 2025, General “Chappie” James’ birthday).  Awards ceremony will be held at the Chappie James Museum of Pensacola at 1606 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Pensacola, FL 32503. Time to be announced at a later date.

Contact​

Any questions regarding the essay competition should be sent to ginfo.mhc@gmail.com .