Every year the Illinois American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion sponsor an essay contest with scholarship winnings. Vi Johns of the Barloga Post of Pecatonica's American Legion Auxiliary is spearheading this year's competition. She depends upon Pecatonica High School's Inga Danko, history teacher who then assigned the 2022 essay title "Patriotism: How We Are More Alike Than Different" to the students in her classes.
All 53 essays from high school were then judged by a group of retired schoolteachers. Winner of the freshman-sophomore grade is sophomore Allison McLevige and the junior-senior winner is senior Ashley Burrow. The Pecatonica girl's essays are now in competition at the District level. Winners of the Division will compete for cash and scholarship awards.