Meagan Hooker, a senior at Italy High School, was one of 13 Ellis County students recognized recently for outstanding citizenship by the Rebecca Boyce Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The DAR Good Citizens Award and Scholarship Contest, created in 1934, is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship. This award recognizes and rewards individuals who possess the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism in their homes, schools, and communities. These students are selected by their teachers and peers because they demonstrate these qualities to an outstanding degree. This program is only open to high school seniors whose schools are accredited by their state board of education.

Hooker is class president, FFA advisor, FFA wildlife team captain, Student Council member, National Honor Society member, editor of the school newspaper, president of Wildlife Intensive Leadership Development Program, hunt master with Texas Youth Hunting Program and captain of the cheerleading squad.

She is in the top 10 percent of her class, is an academic banquet honoree, advanced through one year of high school over a summer, youth speaker at Taking Care of Texas Reception, youth speaker at Texas Wildlife Association Convention, speaker at Texas Parks and Wildlife Stakeholder meeting, guest speaker at State Capital, regional UIL participant and earned commended scores on exit level TAKS math, English and science. She has been featured in TV/radio, newspaper and magazine articles.

Hooker earned the Oliphant Cup Award in junior high and was named Texas Association Youth Volunteer of the Year.

One student at each of the county’s high schools is recognized as a DAR Good Citizen each year. One of those students is then recognized as the 2013 Citizen of the Year.

Other county students recognized included Jacob Allen, Waxahachie Prepatory Academy; Rachel Strange, Milford High School; Alyssa Reisner, Waxahachie Global High School; Brian Austin Romero, Avalon High School; Marisa Lee Price, Waxahachie High School; William Ryan Pugh, Midlothian High School; Taylor Nicole Anderson, Red Oak High School; Daniella Martinez, Waxahachie Faith Family Academy; Jasmin Moya, Palmer High School; Daniela Gutierrez Gomez, Ennis High School; Tiffany Bullock, Ferris High School; and Chance Alan Hays, Ovilla Christian Academy.

The Rebecca Boyce Chapter of the DAR was organized on January 31, 1948. It was organized by Mrs. John Sidney Farrar with the help of her daughter, Mrs. Sidna Farrar Wellborn, who was a member of the Jane Douglas Chapter of Dallas.

The chapter was named for Mrs. Farrar’s grandmother, Rebecca Horton Boyce, 1799-1891, whose family settled east of Waxahachie in 1872. The town of Boyce also received its name from this family. Rebecca Boyce is buried in the Waxahachie City Cemetery.

The members of the Texas Society Daughters of the American Revolution share several common bonds. Each descends from someone who served the cause of American independence. They are also women who are interested in making a difference in their communities through projects focusing on historic preservation, patriotism, and education.

DAR is the nation’s oldest women’s service organization, founded In 1890. It promotes its objectives through committee work. The committees are diverse and cover a multitude of different interests. American Heritage, Conservation, Commemorative Events, American History, Service for Veterans, Lineage Research, and Women’s Issues are just a few of the committees.

Membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution is open to any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who served the cause of American independence. Consider joining the more than 16,000 active Texas DAR members.