By Nathalie Gottschalk

The American Immigration Lawyer Association (AILA) Nevada chapter, in conjunction with the Moapa Valley Rotary Club and the Moapa Valley Educational Foundation (MVEF), selected three winning essays from the Grant Bowler Elementary fifth-grade class of Carolyn De la France. All three organizations awarded certificates and stipends at the local level to each winning author.

1st place – Avery May

2nd place – Brynn Lawrence

3rd place – Sebastian Garcia Villezcas

In addition, the AILA selected Avery May’s essay to represent Nevada at the national level. The national winner will be invited to attend a banquet ceremony with his/her parents in San Diego on June 19, 2026.

Nathalie Gottschalk, AILA member, said, “I wanted to thank the teachers for their commitment to participate in our contest for the past six years!”  

Here is the winning essay:

Immigration Poem

Imagine having all your life,
To run and jump and play.
While people in the past,
Couldn’t always find a place to stay.
People were just so young,
Having their whole future ahead.
Being on water and the road.
Not always being fed.
As scary as it seems,
It wasn’t always bad.
I like to believe that sometimes,
People were even glad.
Celebrating America means a lot more than just having a flag.
It means being there for others,
Day and night to have their back.
Think of the immigrants who came long ago,
Or who are still coming now.
How brave they must have been.
I ask myself – Why? Where? How?
But they listened to their heart,
Cause all they really wanted,
– Was a new and fresh start.
How frightening it was for children,
To never get a say,
They were always packing their things.
Just to get on the way.
Being an American is standing up for the right,
You don’t have to go to battle.
But you still can fight the fight.
This is what being an American is,
The amount of people it took,
Just for us to be saved,
Just like in the song.
“O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!”

The Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest challenges fifth-graders across the country to reflect on and write about one of two themes: “Why I Am Glad America Is a Nation of Immigrants” or “What Does It Mean to be A Welcoming Nation?”