Cpl. Jonathan R. Ayers 24, of Snellville, GA was 1 of 9 heroes who fell in the heat of battle while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Cpl. Ayers died of wounds suffered when their outpost was attacked by small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades from enemy forces in Wanat, Afghanistan, on July 13, 2008. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.
The American Legion Riders of Loganville Post 233 are proud to provide the Cpl. Jonathan Ayers Memorial Scholarship. This annual scholarship is endowed from monies raised by the Legion Riders of the Loganville post and will benefit a deserving student from Walton or Gwinnett Counties with a $1000.00 scholarship.
The contest will be open to any high school senior who is attending a public, private, parochial, or home school in Walton or Gwinnett counties and who is pursuing higher education in an accredited college, university, or trade school. Award will be based on an essay contest focused on applied freedoms in America.
The essay contest will open on January 1st, 2026 and the award will be announced in April 2026.
2026 Important Dates/Rules/Essay Prompt
Essay Prompt
As one of three co-equal branches of our government, the Judicial Branch weighs in on laws and is charged with protecting our constitution. Pick two supreme court decisions that you think have had major impacts on life in the United States, summarize each, and say why you agree or disagree with the decisions.
Eligibility
The contest is open to writers who are both residents of Gwinnett or Walton Counties in Georgia and are High School Seniors at some point during the contest period.
Essay Length
Essays should be 800-1000 words in length. Submissions that do not meet this requirement, or that exceed it, will be disqualified.
Deadline
Essays must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time, April 3, 2026.
Plagiarism/Use of Generative AI
All essays must be the original work of the student whose name is listed on the submission. Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification. Any use of generative AI will be considered plagiarism.
Judges
Our Judges will evaluate essay submissions in a fair and unbiased judging system, where judges will all use the same criteria. Judges will be selected by the Legion Riders based on their backgrounds, education, writing, and the subject matter. Decisions of the judges are final.
Ownership and Use
The ownership of any submission remains the property of the writer, but entry into the competition constitutes the entrant’s permission and consent, without compensation, with or without attribution, for The American Legion Post 233 and the American Legion Riders of Post 233 to use, reproduce, transmit, post, distribute, adapt, edit, and/or display the submission.
Submission Details
Essays must be submitted via email to scholarships@gapost233.com and must include the Subject Line of Jonathan Ayers Memorial Scholarship Entry. Students should include their Full Name, Email Address, Mailing Address, and a contact Phone Number in the body of the email above the essay.