Nottingham Republican Committee Announces 2023 Scholarship Recipient

The Nottingham Republican Committee is proud to announce that this year’s recipient of the $500 Scholarship is being awarded to Tommy Flanagan.

We want to take this opportunity to thank all the students who submitted essays for consideration. We thoroughly enjoyed reading the submissions.  They were well-written and compelling.

Ultimately we chose Tommy for the award and have included his essay.  Congratulations Tommy!

My Meaning of “Live Free or Die” 

I am the grandson of immigrants. My Lola and Babu came to this country legally from the Philippines in the 1960s. Interestingly, they did not know each other in their home country, but ended up meeting in New England, married in 1966, and had four children. The youngest, my mother, would go on to have me in 2004 and my little brother in 2007. I was not quite old enough to remember the stories Babu told before he passed away in 2011, but through my Lola and Mom, they have been passed on.

“Live Free or Die” truly meant something to my grandfather. Born in Sorsogon in 1933, he was just 8 when the Japanese occupation began, and lasted for several years. He watched a soldier humiliate his mother, demanding she get on the ground and kiss his shoes. His childhood was not one of freedom. When the Americans returned, he and others in his village laid in trenches while the fighting went on, the sound of bullets whizzing by just feet above him. As a young boy, he was grateful to America for liberating his village.

Years later, after college, he came to America on a work visa, with a Green Card sponsor and a track towards citizenship already in place. America had a shortage of electrical engineers, and many companies were eager to hire him. He and my grandmother followed the immigration rules and did everything right. They both completed the path to full US citizenship, and chose to renounce their status as Philippine nationals. When they had children, they raised them to love this country and its freedoms.

My mom and her siblings never learned to speak Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, because Babu wanted them to fully integrate into society. Though they still embraced and loved their heritage, my grandparents taught them that they are Americans first.

Because of my family’s experiences, and the lessons and morals passed down, I know what “Live Free or Die” means to me. I am grateful for the immigration laws that allowed my grandparents to come here legally and thrive. I think of the trials, tribulations, and sacrifices so many people have gone through and continue to go through to make America what it is today. New Hampshire is amazing because it takes its motto to heart. Of all of the New England states, New Hampshire is the best. The cost of living is reasonable with lower taxes and cheaper gas compared to other states. Nature, specifically the White Mountains, is absolutely beautiful. I have hiked the New Hampshire 48 4000 footers and the New England 67 4000 footers, so I know from experience just how beautiful the mountains are. I feel lucky to even have the option and opportunity to hike considering what people my age in other places have to worry about to just survive. New Hampshire embodies the idea of America being the Land of Opportunity. I have the opportunity to live the life I want, with my destiny in my control.

Next year, I am committed to playing baseball for Lasell University while majoring in Data Analytics.

Unlike my grandfather, my childhood consisted of going to school, competing in basketball and baseball, and playing with friends. His childhood under Japanese occupation is why I never take for granted the freedoms we have here, in America and especially in New Hampshire. I am grateful to have grown up in the best state, with the best state motto.