The Memphis Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) chapter recently announced the winners of its annual veteran’s day essay contest, and Westminster Academy students took three out of four of the top awards this year. There were over 30 local entries from six different public and private schools, and winners were as follows:
Patriot’s Pen Contest, open to 7^th & 8^th graders
1^st Place: Camille Smith – Westminster Academy
2^nd Place: Jack Rhodes – Westminster Academy

Voice of Democracy Contest, open to high school students
1^st Place: Laurel Martens – Westminster Academy
2^nd Place: Miles Thomas – Collierville High School

The theme of The Patriot’s Pen contest was “America’s Gift To My Generation,” and The Voice of Democracy theme was “American History: Our Hope for the Future.” Student submissions were judged by a committee based on how well they understood, developed, and presented the theme.
“I had a great time reading and listening to the submissions,” said Cassandra Williams, committee chairman. “I want to thank their teacher, Mrs. Faith Shaunak, for a fantastic job of instilling the knowledge into her students.”

The local winners will go on to compete against other state winners, and if selected again, will advance to the national finals, where they will have the opportunity to earn one of several scholarship prizes totaling anywhere from $500-$30,000, along with an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C.