Dept Of CT VFW Announces Top VOD Winners

From The Dept Of CT VFW: At a ceremony recently, the Department of Connecticut Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) announced the top winners in the 2016-2017 Voice of Democracy (VOD) contest. Created in 1947, VOD has been the VFW’s premier scholarship program since 1961. It is open to high school students who are enrolled in a public, private or parochial high school or home study program in grades 9-12. It provides more than $2 million in scholarships and incentives annually across the country. Contestants record a three to five-minute essay based on an annual patriotic theme which is submitted to their local sponsor VFW Post. The Post winners move on to a District level and those winners to a statewide competition during the fall of the academic year.

This year’s theme was My Responsibility to America.& The top essay winners are:

• First Place - Meghan Hebert, senior, Killingly High School, Killingly, CT. She was sponsored by
• VFW Post & Auxiliary 1523 of Putnam, CT.
• Second Place – Rachael Weakley of Canton, senior at The Master’s School, West Simsbury, CT.
• She was sponsored by VFW Post & Auxiliary 3272 of Avon, CT.
• Third Place – Alyssa Varesio, senior, Woodland High School, Beacon Falls, CT. She was
• sponsored by VFW Post 8075 of Prospect, CT.

All three were presented plaques and a monetary award at a ceremony on January 15 in Rocky Hill, CT at the 46 th annual awards dinner by the Department of Connecticut Veterans of Foreign War and its Auxiliary.

“The Voice of Democracy competition provides high school students with the opportunity to speak out on freedom and democracy,” stated Richard DiFederico, State VFW Voice of Democracy Chairman and Master of Ceremonies. “The program has been popular and successful since its beginning in 1947 and we are proud to keep offering it to America’s young citizens.”

Connecticut’s first-place winner, Meghan Hebert, will move on to compete with all other state winners across the country for a $30,000 scholarship that is paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. Hebert will submit a recording of her reading her essay for the national competition. Over $153,000 is awarded at the national level with each participant receiving at least $1,000.

The event takes place in Washington D.C. every February.

In addition, Hebert will be invited to attend the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge’s Spirit of America Youth Leadership Program held in June 2017. The weekend long program is designed exclusively for VOD winners and offers them a chance to renew their friendships created in Washington DC as well as visit sites where our nation’s founding fathers began their journey into democracy. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) started the Voice of Democracy Scholarship program in 1947. The VFW became a national sponsor in the late 1950s and assumed sole responsibility for the program in 1961. The competition was created to provide students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to express themselves in regard to democratic ideas and principles. Around 40,000 students participate in the competition each year and the VFW awards more than $2 million in scholarship every year. A copy of the entry form and rules can be found at http://vfw.org/Community/Voice-of- Democracy/

Image Via Pixabay