Senior Reagan Godden received 1st place at the local Post level and 2nd at the District level in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Voice of Democracy Scholarship Contest
Homestead High School is proud to announce that senior Reagan Godden received 1st place at the local Post level and 2nd at the District level in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Voice of Democracy Scholarship Contest. This is a national essay/speech contest that starts at the local level with the potential to advance to the district level and national levels. The Mequon-Thiensville area belongs to VFW District 6, which is made up of 20 local Posts across five counties. This year, 30 submissions were received, with 11 finalists reaching the District level for review by a panel of judges.
On Tuesday, January 16, VFW district representatives Ron Schnorenberg and John Kleinmaus visited Homestead High School to present Godden with her scholarship award for her essay on the theme, “What are the greatest attributes of our democracy?” Godden received a monetary reward of $175 along with a framed certificate on behalf of the VFW District 6. Godden’s essay focused on the Bill of Rights, highlighting six amendments and their role in clearly defining the freedoms and rights of American citizens in a free democracy. Godden credits her interest in the United States government to the U.S. History class she took at Homestead with Mr. Nicholas Schueller. The course, Godden said, prompted her to think about the ways government applied to her own life. She then heard about the VFW scholarship opportunity through student announcements and the Homestead counseling office and decided to it a chance.
“Every little bit helps when it comes to having money for college,” said Godden. Though she has been accepted to several Big 10 colleges, she has yet to decide where she will be attending in the fall.
“It was an honor to have two veterans here with us to present Reagan with this award,” said Eric Ebert, principal of Homestead High School, “The subject matter is close to my heart as a former teacher of government and it is a great achievement for Reagan as the first Homestead student, in at least several years, to receive this award through the Voice of Democracy scholarship program.”
According to the VFW, the Voice of Democracy audio-essay program was established in 1947 and provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves regarding a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 40,000 students in grades 9-12 from across the country enter to win their share of $2.1 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program.
- District News