ANAMOSA — In fourth grade, Vann Barnette had just studied about race relations, about Rosa Parks getting on the bus and Martin Luther King, Jr. inspiring change. And he recalled his grandfather story, the story of half a century ago ago being taken to task for befriending a black man and standing up for that right while in the Army.

Vann, 10 years old at the time, folded his knowledge into the essay “No Son, Today You Have Become A Man,” an essay that won $25,000 worth of computer software for his school this year and a computer and software for himself. (See Vann’s essay below and listen to him read it.)

“I thought it was a good essay,” Vann says, calm, relaxed and mature for his age as he sits comfortably in the office at Strawberry Hill Elementary with his teacher and mother. “I didn’t know if it was a winning essay.”

But, competing nationally against kids ages 8 to 18, it took first place in last spring’s tenth annual “Listen to a Life Essay Contest” sponsored by Orchard Software.

“I was very surprised it won a national contest,” says his teacher, Ann Tiedt. “But Vann is extremely talented.”

“I like to spend my free time writing,” says Vann, who turned 11 last Thursday. “I’m writing a book now, ‘A Journey into the Future.’”

While in Kindergarten, Vann wrote his first book — “The Hero of Halloween.” In it, Austin, a ninja who carries a bb gun, fights ghosts and goblins.

I laugh at that notion. If Austin is a ninja, I told Vann, he shouldn’t have to carry a bb gun.

“I know,” Vann says with a shy smile. “I was in Kindergarten.”

Vann has grown up a lot since then to become a well-rounded young man. He stands 5-foot-1, weighs 116 pounds and plays tackle and sometimes defensive end on his fifth-grade football team. He takes piano lessons, plays Wii video games and is reading several books including “The Sword and Circle” about King Arthur and “1776″ about the American Revolution. He looks forward to studying human anatomy this year in school.

“I’m working on trying to get good grades now,” Vann says. “I want to be on an NFL team.”

His favorite team? The Carolina Panthers. But, if he can’t make an NFL team, he’d become a zooligist.

“I just love being with animals,” Vann says, explaining that, even though he’s had a few fish die and the family cat ran away, he loves the sheltie, Sadie.

For winning this contest, Vann chose software that covers math and science up to 10th grade

Having no problem putting his toughts into words, Vann approached the writing contest with excitement yet trepidation. Would he be able to convey his message within the contest limits?

“For me, 300 words?” he says. “How can I do that?”

He wrote the first draft in long hand. He reworked it in a typed draft. He spent an hour talking again to his grandfather, Gerald Udell, 74, who has a doctorate degree in history and lives near Columbia, Mo., although he also has an Anamosa home.

“He has some pretty good history,” Vann says. “My grandpa has a lot of interesting stories.”

Vann reworked his story again. And finally, after seven hours, he was satisfied.

“I wanted to make sure it was a good one,” Vann says.

“My grandpa,” he adds proudly, “stood up to a policeman and said he wanted to sit next to his black friend, I found that inspirational.”

Comments: (319) 398-8323; dave.rasdal@gazcomm.com

VANN’S ESSAY:

“NO SON, TODAY YOU HAVE BECOME A MAN”

My Grandpa is the type of guy who likes to give advice through stories.

He has done a lot of things such as getting a PhD and testifying in front of members of congress. Despite these accomplishments, the proudest moment of his life is when he made an old man cry.

Grandpa had just gotten off a train at Aiken, NC, with a friend he had made at boot camp. They were headed to their first military assignments. They were laughing when suddenly his friend got very quiet.

Grandpa asked, “What’s wrong?”

His friend, pointing, replied, “I gotta go in that one and you in that one.”

Two doors were labeled “Whites Only” and “Blacks Only.”

After Grandpa had gone through the “Whites” door he discovered that the waiting area was really one big room. He missed sitting by his fellow soldier, so he crossed the yellow line dividing the room and sat down next to his friend.

It wasn’t long before a white policeman was standing in the doorway. He beckoned Grandpa over, yelling about how he should be in the “Whites Only” section. But Grandpa said if there is no law against him sitting in the “Black” section, he wished to stay with his friend.

An elderly man came up to Grandpa after the policeman left and said, “I really appreciate what you just did.”

Grandpa responded, “Sir, he’s my friend.”

Unexpectedly, tears started winding their way through the wrinkles in the older man’s face.

“Sir, did I say something wrong?” inquired Grandpa.

The old man replied “Not in all my life has a white man called me sir.”

“Sir, I’m just a kid.” Grandpa said.

The man smiled broadly and responded, “No, son. Today you have become a man.”