Samantha Camilletti receiving her award from Cathy Weaver, Virginia National Bank
“I have loved history for a long time. There’s just a quality about it that I find very comforting. Even though it happened in the past (in some cases the extreme past), there’s always something to learn from it…Put in that context, it really has a way of humanizing the stories that the textbook tells us.” So Samantha Camilletti integrated her love of history and word crafting to convey her ideas about the American Civil War Battle of Jack’s Shop in Madison, which occurred on September 21, 1863.
Samantha’s essay won the 150th Commemoration of the Battle of Jack’s Shop essay contest, sponsored by Virginia National Bank. She was awarded a $2000 scholarship, school and community acknowledgment, and newspaper recognition. “I was completely blown away,” she commented. “With the money, with the celebration feel that accompanied it.”
The 10th grader at Madison County High School reflected on her interest in the Battle of Jack’s Shop, rued the possibility that it might make her seem like a “warmonger,” and talked about the chaotic nature of seven simultaneous skirmishes in a two-mile radius. “War strategy has always been interesting, but in this case, the lack of it was much more intriguing.” Samantha added that walking the same ground where the soldiers actually fought personalizes the event. “It’s a sneaky way to bring a long-forgotten issue to current times.”
As for her past and future writing endeavors, Samantha said she had always been given a writing topic and assignment. “This was my first real choosing, and I will pursue other contests in the future.” Her love of storytelling started at an early age, has persisted, and transformed over time. She provided a witty and candid self-assessment when she remarked, “I wouldn’t call myself a liar when I was little, but I was definitely imaginative, and when I was a kid I didn’t have the literary outlet that I do now.”
Fostering this particular literary and historical endeavor was BRVGS World History teacher Tamie Campbell, who played a significant role in the commemorative event. She worked with numerous community groups, disseminated information to teachers, and supported students in their contributions and exposure to this piece of national history that happened in their own backyard.
“Samantha’s winning essay was not only well written, but had extensive information on Madison County during the Civil War,” said Campbell. “It was clear that she had gone above and beyond in her research, teaching us all more about Madison’s involvement in the Civil War.”
The AP Biology class from William Monroe High School had the chance for a rare visit to Botanique, a carnivorous and rare plant nursery in Greene. Students were shown a number of different plants notable for their ability to attract and capture insects. These plants are also attracting attention for their possible medical uses as well. 
