Submitted photo Julian Harlan is the winner of the 2025 America’s Field Trip Contest.

ELKINS — Elkins High School sophomore Julian Harlan has been selected as the top essay award winner for the 2025 America’s Field Trip Contest, a national competition held in celebration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

The prestigious award, which is organized by America250, highlights students who reflect on the question, “What does America mean to you?” Harlan’s essay brought attention to the challenges facing those from rural communities and the stereotypes that surround Appalachia.

“I’ve watched movies and television shows that claim to depict my home, only to see an exaggerated distortion — people with missing teeth, clad in overalls, speaking in a thick, almost foreign drawl,” Harlan writes in her essay. “These portrayals are far from the truth. The people of Appalachia are resourceful and hardworking. They innovate, build, and preserve traditions that define the true American Spirit.”

Harlan also writes in her essay that, “America is built on the promise of opportunity — a place where anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success through hard work and termination. But the reality is that opportunity is not as universal as we are led to believe.”

Harlan, who is the only recipient of any kind from West Virginia to win the contest, was rewarded with a trip to Texas for her essay win. Through a private guided tour, Harlan will explore more than 300 years of American history at the iconic Alamo in San Antonio. She will also visit the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin during her trip where she will be treated to a behind-the-scenes tour where she will see rare artifacts not typically on display to the public.

“We are really proud of Julian for winning this contest,” Harlan’s mother, Trenna Robinson, told the Inter-Mountain. “She was picked as one of 25 in the entire nation and was actually awarded the top essay in the United States. So it was a pretty big deal for her. She was happy that her teacher won $1,000 and she received an all expense paid trip.”

Harlan’s teacher, Amanda Sacks, was also awarded a $1,000 prize for her guidance in the nationwide competition, which drew entries from students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. 

Harlan is no stranger to success in academic competitions as she has captured back-to-back state titles in the West Virginia American Legion Oratorical. She finished runner-up at the national event in 2024 and in third place this year. 

“She has been doing some really cool things,” said Robinson. “I knew when she submitted her essay for this contest that it was a good one. It was really exciting when we found out that she had won.”

Harlan, who will depart for her trip to Texas on Aug. 5, has four siblings Taelynn Harlan, Levi Harlan, Sawyer Robinson and Barrett Robinson.  She is the daughter of George Harlan and Trenna and Brandon Robinson.