The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation announces student essay competition winners

​The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation and The Society of Presidential Descendants are pleased to announce that First, Second, and Third-Place prizes have been awarded in the third annual “Presidential Families Weekend” student essay competition, which was introduced in 2023 as a youth educational component of the Foundation’s annual array of Presidents Day weekend events.

Open to all Monroe County high school students, awards were announced and presented following the 2025 “Presidential Descendants Forum,” a live moderated discussion among a panel of presidential descendants held Saturday, Feb. 15, on the grounds of the Key West Harry S. Truman Little White House.

Student competitors researched and wrote on the forum’s 2025 theme of “Historic Preservation—artifacts, objects and sites. Preserving our nation’s history for future generations.”

First Place award was presented to Seava “Kai” Lamontagne, an 11th grade student at Key West High School, by presidential descendant Massee McKinley, great-great grandson of 22nd and 24th U.S. President Grover Cleveland, for Kai’s essay titled, “FDR’s New Deal: A Bridge from Key West to the Future.”

Second Place award was presented to Mila Seigert, an 11th grade student at The Basilica School of Saint Mary Star of the Sea, by presidential descendant Mary Jean Eisenhower, granddaughter of 34th U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, for Mila’s essay titled, “The perseverance of Historical Preservation in the Face of the Great Depression.”

Third Place award was awarded to Davin Leggett, a 12th grade student at Key West High School by Ulysses Grant Dietz, great-great-grandson of 18th U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, for Davin’s essay titled, “Preserving the 9/11 Memorials and Museum.”

Juried by members of the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation and The Society of Presidential Descendants, competitor’s submissions were judged on factors that included their skill at presenting the subject compellingly, according to competition guidelines. Competitors were also required to provide documentation of having performed community service work during the past two years.

Monroe County School District Social Studies Coordinator Jennifer C. Barrios acted as liaison between the school district and the competition organizers.

First, Second and Third Place winners received cash prizes and tickets to attend the Feb. 15 forum.

“All of us from The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation and The Society of Presidential Descendants who have been involved with the competition are immensely proud of these students and the caliber of their work,” said Clinton Curry, the Foundation’s Executive Director. “We so look forward to seeing where their paths might lead them in the future.”
​
The mission of The Harry S. Truman Foundation is to preserve the Harry S. Truman Little White House, Florida’s only presidential museum, and programming that supports civic engagement, education, and the historic and cultural influences of the Truman era. For more information about The Foundation and its programs, contact Foundation Deputy Director Michael Ables at [email protected].