Emily Lazration, a member of Chatham High School's class of 2012, won a $1,000 college scholarship from the Democratic Scholarship Committee of the Chathams.

To win the scholarship, Lazration wrote a 500-word essay about the most important issue presently facing the US and how the winner of the November presidential election should resolve it.

According to Pam Huelster of the committee, Lazration wrote her essay on US foreign policy in the Middle East. She counseled increased diplomancy and economic sanctions and a decrease in military force.

Lazration will attend Loyola University in Baltimore in the fall.

Previous winners of the Democrats’ scholarship include:

• Michael Strand (2011), who attends Princeton University;
• Brian Cook (2010), at Wake Forest University;
• Allison Ranshous (2009), who attended Swarthmore College;
• Anthony Reel (2008), who went to Miami University in Ohio;
• and Paul Salierno (2007), who attended Franklin and Marshall College.