Asbury Park High School: Mr. Wronko’s student, Maria Riano Cruz, places in VFW essay contest

Mr. Wronko’s 9th grade student, Maria Riano Cruz, placed third out of multiple high schools for the VFW essay contest, Voice of Democracy.

Below is her essay. She not only wrote her essay but had to record herself reading it.

Maria’s Essay:

The phrase,’’We the People,’’ is found in the preamble to the United States Constitution. The founding fathers made us, the people, as the very foundation of this country. I can show patriotism and support to my country by helping my local community. One way is volunteering at my local library and Madonna House; hoping to make an impact in my local community.

Volunteering at the library

At the library, I have helped little kids from Hope Academy School, who stayed after school at the library for homework aid. Sometimes I would help the staff members by putting books away and organizing them by letters and numbers. I would also cut paper to make decorations for the library. I did this to create a welcoming environment for kids to feel comfortable in asking for help here and exploring their curiosites. I was helping the after school program  to ensure underrepresented kids get help with their school work and to make certain that they were receiving  the same education as kids from private middle schools. As someone who came from a private middle school, I received a very good education. I believe that every kid in my community should receive a good education in order to open doors for opportunities.

Volunteering at Madonna House

Madonna House in Neptune is another demonstration of how I helped my local community. Madonna House’s mission is to provide some free necessities by selling clothes. The proceeds from their clothing sales help them provide free necessities to people who need them, like single mothers. I feel a deep connection as I have been exposed to the struggle that single moms face through my friends’ moms.

Throughout the years from 1987 to 2025, the Madonna House has helped thousands of people. A recent accident had happened to the Madonna House on March 16th, in the same year I had helped them. A car drove into their store through the glass windows. Three people had injuries, and the boy who crashed inside passed away. Now, they needed help to continue their journey.

By helping my community, I am showing my love for my country. I want this country to become a great place for my fellow citizens and I can help it become through volunteering. I can inspire my community and my friends to volunteer into homeless shelters and show patriotism towards our country.