MOSES LAKE — Stephanie Massart, regent of the Moses Lake-based Karneetsa Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, was honored earlier this year with the Washington State Outstanding Junior Award by the DAR, according to a press release from the chapter. The award is given to active DAR members 18-35 years old who demonstrate service that is above and beyond, according to the DAR website.

“It’s really a big deal because they recognize younger women who have a lot going on – career, families – and they want to illuminate those individuals who are giving of their time not only to the (DAR) but in their communities,” Massart said.

Each chapter nominates an individual member, Massart said, and those are entered in the state competition. From there, the state nominees compete at the national level, where the field is narrowed down to eight finalists, one of whom this year was Massart. The final winner was Sasha Atherton Quillin of Maryland, according to an announcement from the DAR.

The finalists are honored at the DAR’s annual Continental Congress in Washington, D.C. at a ceremony with DAR President General Ginnie Sebastian Storage.

Massart, a 2008 graduate of Moses Lake High School now living in Richland, is a third-generation Daughter of the American Revolution. Her grandmother was a founding member of the Karneetsa chapter in 1986, she said, and her mother has served as the chapter’s regent as well. Massart was part of the Children of the American Revolution, a parallel organization for youth, and after she turned 18, she attended DAR meetings with her grandmother. She joined the DAR formally when she graduated from college and has served as Karneetsa Chapter regent for six years, she said. In that capacity, she serves as head of all the chapter’s committees and is the liaison to the state and national organizations. 

The Karneetsa Chapter has been active in the community in a number of areas, Massart said, including scholarships, awards and veterans’ support. The latest project was a partnership with the American Legion to honor Vietnam veterans in March.

“I’ve been working toward this award for 10 years,” she said. “It’s a culmination of not only my legacy as a Child of the American Revolution and now a Daughter of the American Revolution, following in my grandmother’s footsteps, but also (a sign of) how passionate I am about recognizing individuals, giving back to the community, seeing where people are struggling and where there’s a need and trying to fill that.”