A Habersham Central High School senior and Stephens County middle schooler were both recently honored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Sarabeth Gant won the Grant-Reeves VFW Post 7720 annual Voice of Democracy audio-essay contest. Gant placed 4th at District among 40 competitors. According to Post 7720 Commander Bill Miles, the top 5 District scores were all within one point of each other.
“Sarabeth Gant represented our community and Post with distinction. She presented an excellent essay and competed against some very tough competition,” he says.
Wesley Vickers of Stephens County Middle School placed first in District and State in the VFW Patriot’s Pen essay contest. He advanced to the national competition.
Scholarship opportunities for students grades 6-12
The annual Voice of Democracy audio-essay program and Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest provide middle and high school students with a unique opportunity to express themselves through democratic and patriotic-themed essays. This year’s audio-essay theme was “Is This the Country the Founders Envisioned?” The Patriot’s Pen theme was “What is Patriotism to Me?”
Each year, more than 220,000 students in grades 6-12 nationwide compete for a chance to win their share of $3.5 million in scholarships and awards.
Audio-essay state winners receive a minimum $1,000 scholarship. The national winner receives a $30,000 scholarship. The top state prize for the Patriot’s Pen essay is a minimum of $500 and the national prize is $5,000.
Both contests are promoted and supported through the help of school systems and teachers. Commander Miles extends his thanks to the teachers in Northeast Georgia who promote these youth programs.
To see more of this year’s winners, tune in to the VFW’s first-ever virtual Parade of Winners on April 1 at 7 p.m. CDT, live on Facebook. To hear each state’s winning essay, click here.
