On Monday, the Montezuma County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5231 announced the results of the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy results for the VFW post.
The judges did their evaluations online in early November and chose the winners based on the proficiency of the essays.
“They expressed that they enjoyed the process very much,” said John Davis, VFW adjutant and quartermaster.
Patriot’s Pen had 10 entries from Lighthouse Christian Academy, according to Davis, and Voice of Democracy had 69 entries from various schools across Montezuma County.
Davis said Dolores schools had the largest number of applicants with 64.
“We thank those schools who encouraged their students to participate,” he said.
Students who won the awards, one Patriot’s Pen winner and five Voice of Democracy winners, advanced to district-level contests. Judging for districts finished on Dec. 15, and two winners from Durango advanced to state.
The winner of the Voice of Democracy in Post 5231 was sophomore Kacey Schmittel. Seco
nd place went to sophomore Julianne Vega, and third to junior Elizabeth Sparks.
Schmittel, who is from Dolores High School, will receive $200, a plaque and a certificate. Vega, who is also from Dolores High School, will receive $175 and a certificate. Sparks, who is from Lighthouse Christian Academy, will receive $150 and a certificate.
Lighthouse Christian Academy’s sixth grader Summer Lovett was the winner of the Patriot’s Pen contest and will receive $100, a plaque and a certificate.
The theme for this year’s Patriot’s Pen was, “How are you inspired by America?” and the theme for the Voice of Democracy was, “What are the greatest attributes of our democracy?”
In Patriot’s Pen, students are judged on knowledge of the theme, theme development and clarity of ideas. Voice of Democracy is judged on originality, content and delivery, according to Davis.
“We want to thank the schools for allowing us to bring this essay contest to the schools,” Davis told The Journal. “It's meant to be a character development thing, where in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades you learn how to develop a theme on paper and then be able to do the same thing only with public speaking with the VOD to help students develop their abilities.”
Davis also said adding these accomplishments to a resume, college application or military academy application is something that could help set students apart.
Teacher of the Year entry Michael Nielson of Dolores High School was also advanced to the next round. Nielson is a social studies teacher.
“He has shown what it means to help in the development of the youth of America,” Davis said.
Prizes will be awarded at district, state and nationals. The national prize for Patriot’s Pen is $5,000 for first and the first place prize for Voice of Democracy is $35,000.
“We hope that we grew this program from last year and hope we can grow it again next year,” Davis said. “If you are a student, teacher, parent or grandparent, please consider the entry of your student. These programs are meant to give students the experience and encourage their growth in writing and public speaking skills.”
The contests are open to any American student who attends a charter, private or public school. Home-schooled students are also welcome to participate.
More information can be found online at www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships or by sending an email to vfwpost5231@gmail.com.
