Five MCPS Students Earn National Recognition in America's Field Trip Contest

Posted On June 17, 2026

64 Views

Five MCPS students have been recognized in the national America's Field Trip essay contest, a signature educational program of America250, the bipartisan organization established by Congress to lead the commemoration of the United States' 250th anniversary in 2026.

More than 10,000 students from across the country submitted essays and artwork responding to the prompt, "What does America mean to you?" A panel of educators selected 250 awardees nationwide.

The following MCPS students were honored:

First-Place Awardees – High School

Mengtong Xiang, Montgomery Blair High School
Vivaan Samaraweera, Winston Churchill High School

First-Place Awardees – Grades 3–5

Naomi Song, Cold Spring Elementary School
Rithika Ayyalasomayajula, Lois P. Rockwell Elementary School

Second-Place Awardee – High School

Angela Zhang, Winston Churchill High School

The contest awarded 125 first-place winners and a chaperone with educational trips to historic and cultural destinations across the country. Another 125 students received second-place awards of $500, and teachers of the top-scoring students in each grade category earned $1,000.

One of the first-place winners, Mengtong Xiang, a student at Montgomery Blair High School, said it was both rewarding and exciting to learn of the recognition. Xiang's winning essay and poem explored themes of identity, belonging and the immigrant experience, while reflecting on the journey of her family to the United States.

"What initially drew me to the contest was the question itself," Xiang said. "America means something different to every person depending on where they grew up, what opportunities they were given, and how they see themselves fitting into the larger story of the country. I appreciate that the prompt allowed me to reflect on these topics as well as my parents journey to the United States and the challenges Asian Americans face when trying to assimilate into American culture."

As a first-place recipient, Xiang earned an all-expenses-paid educational expedition to Yellowstone National Park this summer. Yellowstone is one of sixteen destinations offered through the program, alongside locations such as the White House, Mount Rushmore, Independence Hall, Kennedy Space Center, and the National Archives.

Xiang hopes the experience inspires other students to take chances and explore new opportunities.

"Many opportunities seem out of reach until you actually take the first step by going outside your comfort zone," she said.

View the student’s essays and artwork:

Mengtong Xiang, Montgomery Blair High School, Poem Synopsis

The poem is structured as a mock "practice test" for the American Dream. I used the format of an exam because one of the themes I wanted to emphasize was the feeling that many immigrants, children of immigrants, and members of marginalized communities often face tests that question whether you are fully part of the community or competent enough. Through a series of satirical test questions, I considered the contradictions, stereotypes, and assumptions that the immigrant communities may encounter while living in the United States. I also chose to reflect on the resilience and adaptability that many families develop in response to those challenges. I wanted to explore both the opportunities this country offers and the barriers that can accompany those opportunities, particularly for immigrant families and their children.

Vivaan Samaraweera, Winston Churchill High School, Essay

America is not yet a monument
It’s still wrapped in scaffolding
It’s sketched in pencil, not ink
Meant to be revised
Founded on promises, yet still in progress
Passed down like an unfinished project
Each generation contributes
Adds a clause,
Crosses something out,
Revises the meaning
It is flawed-
you can see the cracks if you look-
but cracks are where growth starts,
where light gets in
and roots take hold.

Change is the only constant it’s ever known.
People moving, languages mixing,
cultures colliding and reshaping.

Two hundred fifty years in,
and still unfinished
Not a monument, but a question
we answer with each generation:
not who we were,
nor who we are
but who we’re willing to become.