Freedom Institute Student Wins National Competition, Trip to New York City

NAPLES, Fla., Aug. 20, 2026. When Lauren Sharp stepped onto the podium at the New York Stock Exchange, she was thinking about the people who rarely get to stand in the spotlight.

The 16-year-old had written about them months earlier: nurses working overnight shifts, teachers encouraging another generation of students, parents juggling work and family, janitors quietly keeping schools clean and neighbors who show up when someone needs help.

Now, beneath the electronic screens of the New York Stock Exchange, Lauren was the one being recognized.

“It was incredible,” Lauren said of ringing the Opening Bell during her Aug. 5-7 trip to New York City.

For Lauren, the moment began with a simple question: What does America mean to you?

Her answer was not a place on a map or a collection of red, white and blue symbols.

It was people.

“To me, America is the people who make it what it is every day. I wrote about the people who quietly work in the background, like nurses, teachers, janitors and even moms. They are the ones who make America what it is.”

Lauren Sharp, 11th Grade, The Freedom Institute

Lauren, an 11th-grade student at The Freedom Institute, was the only student from Florida selected as an awardee in America’s Field Trip 2026, a national competition commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary. More than 10,000 students in grades 3 through 12 from all 50 states, five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia submitted original artwork and writing, with 250 students selected as awardees. Of those, 125 first-place winners received an all-expenses-paid, three-day, two-night trip with a chaperone to one of several destinations. Lauren was one of 10 first-place winners who selected the New York City trip.

She was surprised when she learned she had won.

“I didn’t expect to win,” she said. “So, finding out that I was selected was an exciting moment. I was also really proud to be able to represent The Freedom Institute.”

The poem that earned her the trip came together quickly. Lauren said it took about 30 minutes to write, but its subject was something she wanted to explore: the people who quietly shape America every day.

Her poem moves between American history and everyday life, mentioning figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman before turning to people whose names may never appear in history books. She wrote about nurses, teachers, parents, janitors and neighbors, along with the struggles people face and the moments of joy that bring communities together.

A graduation. A family reunion. A neighbor lending a hand. Fireworks on a summer night.

To Lauren, those moments are part of what makes America what it is.

She carried that perspective with her to New York.

Lauren traveled with her mother, Pam, and spent several days exploring the city with the other student winners, who ranged from middle school to high school. One of the highlights was getting to know the other students and forming friendships during the experience.

The group explored historic Lower Manhattan, learned about Alexander Hamilton, visited the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and went to One World Observatory. Lauren also attended a performance of Hamilton on Broadway.

At the 9/11 Memorial, Lauren spoke with someone who survived the attacks, giving her a personal connection to an event she had previously known through history lessons.

“It was really powerful to hear his story,” Lauren said. “You learn about 9/11 in school, but actually talking to someone who lived through it makes you look at it differently. It made me think about how many people have their own stories and experiences that have shaped America.”

Still, the moment she remembers most was at the Stock Exchange, where the 10 students chosen for the New York experience stood on the podium for the Opening Bell ceremony.

Back in Naples, Freedom Institute staff watched the livestream together.

Paige Chardon, a Success Coach at Freedom, encouraged Lauren to enter the competition, and several other Freedom Institute students also submitted entries.

“It was a really full-circle moment. When I found out Lauren had won, I was in a meeting with some of the staff and I literally screamed, ‘Lauren won!’ To know that I got to play even a small part in helping her get that opportunity is something that means a lot to me.”

Paige Chardon, Success Coach, The Freedom Institute

Lauren began attending The Freedom Institute last year and is dual enrolled at Florida SouthWestern State College. Her father, J.R. Sharp, said the school’s approach has allowed his daughter to pursue an education that fits her interests and goals.

He also has watched Lauren develop as a reader and writer. He said she has a gift for creating a picture in the reader’s mind, something he saw clearly in the poem that took her to New York.

“She reads a lot, and she has a real gift for writing,” Sharp said. “When you read something Lauren writes, she has a way of creating a visual in your mind. I thought that was really evident in this poem. She took this big idea of what America means and brought it down to the people and the everyday things that make this country what it is.”

Lauren’s parents were thrilled when they learned she had won.

They also thought the experience reflects what they have come to value about The Freedom Institute, particularly the relationships staff members build with students and the opportunities that can grow from those relationships.

“We’ve had a great experience at Freedom,” Sharp said. “They really get to know the students and what they want to accomplish. The way the staff has invested their time in Lauren and the opportunities they’ve helped create for her have been tremendous. We really appreciate that they tailor education for each student.”

Principal Christy Vaill said Lauren’s achievement also reflects the strong relationships between Freedom Institute staff and students and the school’s emphasis on civic values.

“I am so proud of both our student, Lauren, and our Success Coach, Ms. Chardon. Ms. Chardon’s great connection and relationship with our students inspired many to upload a submission, which was an optional task. Lauren being chosen is one of Freedom’s greatest honors and student’s success stories so far! We pride ourselves on being patriotic and loving our country, and it was so wonderful for a student to be recognized for reflecting those same values.”

Christy Vaill, Principal, The Freedom Institute

Chardon said that kind of relationship is central to her work with students and their families. She helps students identify goals and works with them to find ways to reach them.

“Having a student do something so spectacular and knowing that I helped them in the future is incredible,” Chardon said.

For Lauren, the New York experience added something new to a poem that began with her looking at the people and moments that have shaped the country.

She had written about history. In New York, she encountered people who had lived it, places where it happened and students her own age who were also thinking about what America means to them.

And then there was the podium at the New York Stock Exchange, where for a few moments, the Naples student who wrote about the people behind America became part of the story herself.

For more information about America’s Field Trip, visit america250.org/fieldtrip.