Writings by Yokota High School 12th graders on America at 250.
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Aiden Greer
On July 20, 1969
Humans landed on the Moon for the first time
An American dream that became true
Riding a Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center
By the bravest men from NASA
The American flag was raised
The world has changed from that moment
“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”
Proof that no boundary can ever hold us back
A legacy of hope left in a footprint in the dust.
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Jasmine Correa
A Nation Still Growing
A land of hope and change,
Where dreams feel close and bright,
Through struggles it still grows,
And keeps its future in sight,
Voices rise and fall,
Yet still are strong and true,
Not perfect as it stands,
But learning what to do,
A place that keeps on trying,
To be fair to me and you.
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Taylor Brandt
Promises
Land that comes with a promise.
The idea of freedom tied with a ribbon.
Land that gives us something to fight for.
But even among the beauty of a promise,
The people stay divided.
Divided by the hatred spouted.
Divided by the lies told.
But just maybe,
A spark of hope lives on,
A spark across America.
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Elliot Hansen
America – A Reflection
What is freedom?
A feeling of security?
A sense of peace of mind?
Protection to express oneself
Or practice beliefs divine?
My country tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty
Yet how was there the opposite?
And this is what I’ve found,
Freedom’s not perfection, but we fight for it always
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Anthony R. Jackson
Threads of America
America hums on highways that never sleep
In neon lights flickering over late-night diners
In voices layered, different, loud, and unfinished
A flag stitched with both pride and questions
Waving over fields, cities, and stories still being told
There are dreams here, some rising, some waiting
Etched in sidewalks and talked in class
It’s loud with freedom and sometimes with silence
A place still learning what it means to belong
And somehow somewhere hope keeps speaking.
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Jonathan Lehman
America – A Reflection
The American flag stands big and tall.
White stars showing the progress of America
50 stars for 50 states.
13 Stripes to represent the 13 British colonies.
White, red, and blue fabric waving in the wind
White is for purity and innocence,
Red is for valor and bravery,
And blue is for vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
We celebrate the star-spangled banner,
And the independence that comes with it.
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Kahliel Henry
MERICA
The land of the free
And home of the brave
Land founded on bloodshed
And a dream
In the hopes of a better life
For them and future generations
They raised their weapons
With the hopes of freedom and revolution
Fighting an uphill battle
Never giving in to their oppressors
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Kelci Haigood
First light
First of February
salt air threading through quiet streets
the ocean breathing slow and steady
Biloxi wakes under a gray sky
the wind tugs gently at jackets and thoughts
winter here is not cold, just quieter
there’s a stillness between the waves
cars driving down Beach Boulevard
life moving, even in slow motion
and the sea keeps whispering, keeps going
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Laine Lilly
The Country of Freedom
As the Eagle flies high in the sky
We raise the flag in the ground
Many men fought for freedom
While we grew up with honorable heroes
Men leave their homes Just to protect their families
Coming home with the color red
We fight the world for a better future
Here we are stepping into the green grass
To enjoy the freedom we earned
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Ace Martin
Diverse
A place of languid, rolling hills
And cloud piercing mountains.
Deep-bog everglades, humid and warm;
Arched red sandstone, hot and dry.
A land unique, diverse, and one of a kind.
With people from dry deserts,
And from salty-winded islands;
From homes in bluegrass,
And from far beyond our seas.
United and free, sharing one land.
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Rodrigo Negron
America A Reflection
From just 13 colonies to a superpower and shifted for 250 years.
We started with high ideals but kept our own people in chains.
Civil War tore us apart but somehow glued the pieces back together.
Factories rose, then we put footprints on the moon.
Protests in the streets proved that the work is never actually finished.
History makes it look like a calm straight line, but it’s a mess.
We’ve spent two centuries trying to actually live up to the expectations.
Old systems are fading as my generation starts asking the hard questions.
The year is 2026, we’re the ones inheriting this massive, complicated project.
The ink isn’t dry yet, it’s our turn to write what happens next.
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Salem Poole
America – A Reflection
Two hundred and fifty years ago, a promise was made,
To those trapped under British rule,
They cried for their independence,
And they signed to make it so.
What have we done with the independence we fought for?
What have we proved after getting this chance?
We, as a country, have grown.
We, as a country, have made a name for ourselves.
We, as a country, have secured our freedom and will always fight for it.
We, as America, will always secure that 250 year old promise.
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Takumi Iwazaki
The Land of Freedom
A land where hope is the ground we walk on
Where every dream is a seed waiting to break through
Freedom is in the air, steady and prioritized
Carried by the laughter of strangers on a bright street.
Here, a thousand cultures bind into a single bridge,
Connecting the world’s heart to our own.
A sudden flash of genius illuminates the dark,
Fueled by ambition that never rests.
A country always reaching and becoming,
Striving to be the best version of the light we carry.
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Teana Smith
America/Reflection
What is freedom?
The human right that grants us speech
The power to voice our beliefs
And the strength to stand for what is right
We the people
A nation that brings differences together
Accepting those who traveled far in a search for a place to belong
Even though we were granted freedom, we are still learning how to live it
We come so close as a country,
But yet remain so far
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Miyuki Yakazu
America – A Reflection
Stars and stripes on foreign soil,
Keeping watch through daily patrol.
Stations joined across the map,
Bridging every global gap.
A shared mission,
Working with our allies,
From the desert to the sea.
Projecting discipline, community and excellence.
A world connected by the base,
America’s mark in every place.
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