The Voice of Democracy Essay Scholarship program has been around since 1947. The Veterans of Foreign War’s (VFW’s) holds this scholarship every year, receiving nearly 57,000 applications from high school students each year. Students compete by writing and recording an audio essay on an annual patriotic theme.

This year’s theme is “What Are the Greatest Attributes of Our Democracy?”. PHS had 29 students turn in an application and three of them were lucky enough to be in the top three of the local level. They will all move on to the District level, where only one winner will move onto the state level, competing once more before moving onto the national level.

The top scholarship is 35,000 dollars, but throughout the competition they can win more scholarships at each level. If you are one of the winner in the state you receive a full expense paid trip to Washington DC, to tour the city, be honored by VFW and its Auxiliary and receive their portion of the 171,000 dollars in national awards.

In previous years, Dannika Fulling went to State, Ahyla Abel placed at district, and within the past 15 years, we have had two students made it to Nationals!

As our three participants prepare to move onto the next level, they will rerecord their essays, submit them once more and then compete at the district level, and hopefully continue on.