Pleasant Home sophomore Bella Worley won the state superintendent’s essay contest.

Worley wrote her essay on the Culper Spy Ring, a spy ring organized under Gen. George Washington’s orders during the British occupation of New York City in the summer of 1978 during the American Revolution.

Worley said that she chose Culper’s Spy Ring because it was the most interesting to her.

“It was a project for class and Mrs. Withrow told us we could pick whatever topic was most interesting to us,” she said. “And it was the most interesting to me.”

Worley said the entire class wrote essays and they worked on them for several weeks in class.

Worley said that she found out she won just a few days ago.

“I wasn’t expecting to win,” she said. “But I’m excited.”

Pleasant Home Assistant Principal Amber McKathan said, “Bella is an exemplary student with an outstanding work ethic and all around attitude. It is no surprise that she was chosen to receive this award from the State Department of Education. I am sure she is well deserving of this honor. Bella not only excels academically but is also very involved in sports and other extracurricular clubs at school.”

Teacher Jennifer Withrow said, “Bella is a fantastic young lady who strives for excellence in all she does while maintaining humility and grace and the sweetest, loving spirit. I am so proud of all my students’ hard work and effort, so having one of ours win the state competition for high school is just fantastic! I’m proud, especially as an alumnus, to be able to work with the students of Covington County.”

Worley will travel Tuesday to Montgomery along with her family to meet with State Superintendent Michael Sentance, who is giving his inaugural superintendent’s lecture and the topic this year is the American Revolution’s Battle of Lexington and Concord.

After the lecture on April 18, she will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Archives.