VFW Announces 2011-2012 National Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen Essay Contest Winners
Read and listen to America's youth discuss patriotism and pride in our military
March 05, 2012
The winners of the VFW and Ladies
Auxiliary sponsored Voice of Democracy audio-essay competition and the Patriot’s
Pen essay competition were announced late yesterday afternoon during the 2012 VFW
Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.
The Voice of Democracy program
celebrated its 65th year with this year’s theme, “Is There Pride in Serving in Our Military?”
The first-place winner, Elizabeth Scannell, sponsored by Post 10256 and Ladies
Auxiliary in Goose Creek, S.C., received
an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where she was presented with the
T.C. Selman Memorial Scholarship award in the amount of $30,000. The second-place
winner, Josiah Lippincott, sponsored by Post 2002
in Tulare, Calif., received the $16,000
Charles Kuralt Memorial Scholarship Award. The third-place winner, Alexis Dominique,
sponsored by Post 12065 and Ladies Auxiliary in New Iberia, La., received the $10,000 VFW Scholarship Award. All
other state winners received at least a $1,000 college scholarship. Nearly
50,000 students participated in this year’s competition.
Read Elizabeth
Scannell’s award-winning essay
Watch Elizabeth
deliver her essay on-demand at vfw.org
See list of all winners
The Patriot's Pen program is
designed to foster patriotism by allowing students the opportunity to express
their opinions on democracy based on an annual theme, this year’s being,Are You Proud of Your Country?” The first-place winner, Lydia Macfarlan,
sponsored by Post1674 and Ladies Auxiliary in Siloam Springs, Ark., received an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.,
where she received a $10,000 savings bond. The second-place winner, Emily
Jones, sponsored by Post 261 and Ladies Auxiliary
out of Lawrence, Ind., will receive an $8,000 savings bond and glass plaque. The third-place
winner, Ashlyn
Carlson, sponsored by Post 11402 and Ladies
Auxiliary in Olympia, Wash., will receive a $7,000
savings bond and glass plaque. Wood plaques will be sent to all of the
sponsoring Post’s Department headquarters for presentation during their
respective Department Convention or other appropriate ceremony. A total of 140,000 students participated in this year’s
competition.
Read
Lydia Macfarlan’s award-winning essay
Watch Lydia deliver
her essay on-demand at vfw.org
See list of all winners
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