NATCHEZ &045; A Natchez student is national winner of the annual DAR American Revolution History Essay Contest.

Madeline M. Iles, who recently completed fifth grade at Trinity Episcopal Day School, will attend the 114th Daughters of the American Revolution Continental Congress in Washington, D.C., in early July to receive the award and to deliver a one-minute acceptance speech at a general assembly.

Iles learned earlier this year that she had won the award among Mississippi fifth graders. Soon after, she heard that her essay based on the 2005 theme, &uot;Along the Trail with Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery, May 1804-September 1806,&uot; was chosen best essay for the Southeast region of the United States.

Recently, a call came from the national chairman of the American History Committee to tell Iles of her first-place national win.

Martha Jane Owens, regent of the William Dunbar DAR Chapter in Natchez, which sponsored Iles, said the national award is a significant achievement.

&uot;The state chairman, who has been in the DAR for more than 30 years, said she could recall only one other student from Mississippi who had won the national contest,&uot; Owens said.

Iles, daughter of best-selling author Greg Iles and Dr. Carrie Iles, a Natchez dentist, is excited about the win.

Because her father is a well-known writer, she said, many people have been referring to her as following in his path. &uot;But writing isn’t really my thing,&uot; she said. &uot;I’d rather be maybe an interior designer. But I think I’d be a pretty good writer.&uot;

She gave credit to her social studies teacher, Cissy Pressgrove, for providing the materials, instruction and encouragement to students who wrote essays for the contest.

&uot;This is something we require at Trinity,&uot; Pressgrove said. &uot;All the work is done in the classroom, and then they take the essays home and we welcome the parents to make corrections but not to the history part of it.&uot;

Pressgrove, a teacher for more than 40 years, each year gathers materials for students to use for research. This year, she found more research materials than usual, she said. &uot;I’ve never had so many books we could go to,&uot; she said. &uot;We had 17 or 18 books the children could choose from.&uot;

Madeline used all of them, she said. Students were instructed by contest rules to tell the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition from the point of view of one of the historical characters who made the journey. Madeline chose the character York, a slave of William Clark.

Carrie Iles said Madeline was careful about changes made to her essay when she brought it home. &uot;I suggested she reword something, and she said, ‘but, Mama, that’s not the way I would say it.’&uot;

Hearing what her mother said, Madeline said, &uot;I’m like that with everything. I don’t want anyone to think my mom did it.&uot;

Dr. Delecia Carey, head of school at Trinity Episcopal, said she is elated by Iles’ achievement. &uot;I’m really happy for Cissy Pressgrove. She works so hard with the students on those essays, and this is a good reward for her efforts.&uot;

Pressgrove said the essay writing is an important experience for the students. Fifth-graders learn about bibliographies and about what research is all about. &uot;This is a good lesson for them in learning to put things into their own words.&uot;

On July 9, Iles, with her parents and younger brother looking on, will present her one-minute talk, which she already has begun to write. And she’ll receive a cash award.