A bronze statue of George Washington that Virginia gifted to the United Kingdom in 1921 was recently removed from London’s historic Trafalgar Square.

Friends of the Washington Statue, a McLean-based nonprofit, raised funds in 2024 to restore and re-erect the statue this June atop a refurbished pedestal that will conceal within it a time capsule featuring the writings of several Virginia students, including one from Surry County.

The Virginia Department of Education announced on May 6 that Skyla Gurganus, who attends Luther Porter Jackson Middle School, was recently selected to represent Region 1 in the 2025 “Expressions of Freedom” contest, where work by students in grades 3-12 was chosen to be included in the time capsule. Region 1 includes 15 school divisions in the Richmond metro area and its suburbs.

“I chose to participate as an opportunity to challenge myself and explore the possibility of being selected, and I was honored to be chosen,” said Skyla, who’s the daughter of Surry resident Alan Gurganus.

She said she learned of the contest from her history teacher and wrote a poem on the topic “what freedom means to me.” Her poem is published here.

“As I began writing, I reflected on both the past and the present, which guided my thoughts and became the foundation of my inspiration,” Skyla said. “To me, freedom means having the ability to speak openly about issues that truly matter.”

Skyla said she’s both a writer and artist. 

“I’ve been creating artwork for about three years, beginning toward the end of sixth grade,” Skyla said. “My brother is very talented at drawing, which has been a source of inspiration for me. While I enjoy various forms of creative expression, my preferred medium is writing, especially poetry, though I also enjoy writing essays.”

The contest is part of the VA 250 commemoration, which marks the 250th anniversary of Virginia’s role in the 1775-83 Revolutionary War and America’s 1776 Declaration of Independence.

Skyla has been invited to attend a ceremony at the state capitol in Richmond on May 20 where representatives from the offices of Gov. Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin, Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera, VA250 Executive Director Cheryl Wilson and the VDOE.

Skyla said she is uncertain whether she will attend the rededication of the statue this summer.

“I would love to travel to England for the rededication of the statue, but since it’s still in the future, nothing has been confirmed yet,” she said. “I have not had the opportunity to travel to England or outside of the United States before, but it is something I hope to experience one day.”

The statue bears an inscription stating it is dedicated to the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom.

“Why do we as Englishmen gladly welcome the statue of Washington? It is because he was a great Englishman, one of the greatest Englishmen who ever lived; because though he fought us and vanquished us, he was fighting for ideals and principals which were as sacred to us as they were to the American people,” then-U.K. Foreign Secretary Earl Curzon of Kedleston reportedly remarked in 1921 upon the statue’s arrival, according to Friends of the Washington Statue’s website. “… [His] merits were recognized by Englishmen even in his lifetime. … [When] the news of his death was borne across the waters, the British fleet flying at anchor lowered their flags to half-mast in honor of the illustrious dead. … Our duty in the future … is the example we set, by the common sacrifices we have endured and are prepared to endure again … inspired by the temperate judgment, the lofty nobility of soul, and the unselfish purpose of George Washington.”