School District Five student wins D.A.R.E. Essay of the Year contest

For Immediate Release – June 28, 2021

School District Five student wins D.A.R.E. Essay of the Year contest

IRMO – Lake Murray Elementary School fourth grader, Reagan Strickland, has been named the winner of the 2021 South Carolina Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) essay contest.

“It’s very surprising to me that my essay won the contest,” Strickland said. “As I was writing my essay, I thought about DARE and what Officer Minemier taught me.”

This award goes to the top student essay winner for the state of South Carolina. The student exemplifies what it means to be Safe and Responsible. Their essay fulfills the essay requirements, bringing pride and honor to the state.

“This year, we have focused on how students can make a difference in their schools, community, and world,” said Kelly Reese, Lake Murray Elementary Principal.  “I'm so proud of Reagan for using her voice to encourage others to make a positive impact on our world as she represents not only our school, but also our state. Our primary responsibilities as a school are to educate children and ensure their safety.  The D.A.R.E program helps us accomplish both of these. I'm thankful our students have the opportunity to learn skills that will serve them beyond the classroom.”

D.A.R.E. was founded in 1983 and has proven so successful that it has been implemented in thousands of schools throughout the United States and many other countries. D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.

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