ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Guilford’s Jocelyn Kuntz was awarded a $500 scholarship from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) on Friday.

Kuntz’ winning essay will lead her to represent the Stateline region at the Illinois DAR State Conference in Bloomington in April, where she will compete against other “Good Citizen” scholarship winners from 6 other districts.

Eleven students were named “Good Citizens” by the Rockford chapter of DAR, which held a ceremony this morning at Veterans Memorial Hall and Museum, at 211 N. Main Street.

“These students demonstrate dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism,” explained DAR committee chair Inis Bloomster. “Their teachers, counselors, and classmates all participated in their nominations.”

Kuntz was also named Rockford’s first Poet Laureate in 2020. She says after high school, she plans to study biology and forensic science.

The other students recognized included: Shamara Upshaw, of Auburn; Blake Johnson, of Jefferson; Enrique Johnson, of Roosevelt Community Center; Jack Erickson, from Harlem; John Buckley IV, from Hononegah; Macy Sager, from Pecatonica; Sydney Longanecker, from Winnebago; Sophia Rozanski, from Boylan Catholic; Ethan Mattingly, from Rockford Christian; and Abigail Daniele, from Rockford Lutheran.

The Daughters of the American Revolution promotes historic preservation, education, and patriotism, and is made up of women who can trace their family lineage to a Patriot of the American Revolution, according to a press release.