Jayna Smith
Pastor Bobby Oliver of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #9779 has announced that Maggie O’Rourke is this year’s local winner of the VFW Voice of Democracy (VOD) competition.
Each year, the VFW sponsors two youth essay contests: Voice of Democracy, an audio-essay competition for high school students in grades 9-12, and Patriot’s Pen for students in grades 6-8.
This year’s VOD theme was “How are you showing patriotism and support for our country?” Students were required to submit a recorded reading of their essay lasting between three and five minutes.
The Voice of Democracy program, established in 1947, gives high school students the opportunity to express their views on democratic ideals and principles through a recorded essay.
O’Rourke is a senior at Calais High School and received a $100 cash prize for her local win. Her winning essay has been forwarded to the District level for judging. If selected as the District winner, her entry will advance to the state competition.
Second place honors went to Lena Chambers, who received $75, while Cassidy Morrison earned $50 for third place.
The Voice of Democracy program is one of the VFW’s premier scholarship competitions, with nearly 26,000 high school students nationwide competing annually for more than $2 million in scholarships and incentives.
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