PHS Senior Earns Honor
March 13, 2008
The Princeton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #4323 has awarded the Voice of Democracy Local Scholarship to Princeton High School Senior Michael Thompson. This scholarship is from the veteran’s organization’s Voice of Democracy audio-essay scholarship competition.
Thompson, Princeton’s VFW first-place winner, was chosen as the local representative for the state wide competition. Sponsored by VFW Post 4323 of Princeton Illinois, the Voice of Democracy Winner is chosen every year from the senior class from area high schools. Thompson, a senior at PHS is the son and Jerry and Jill Thompson of Princeton.
The annual scholarship program, which just finished its 59th year, requires high school student entrants to write and record a three to five minute essay on an announced patriotic theme. Historically, the theme is purposely kept broad in scope to allow the participant flexibility in interpretation to encourage originality. Since the VFW is a patriotic organization, the annual theme always will be related to patriotism
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) started the Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition in 1946. The Veterans of Foreign Wars became a national sponsor in the late 1950s and assumed sole responsibility for the program in 1961. Many notables have participated in the Voice of Democracy including journalist Charles Kuralt, Miss America Anita Bryant and former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.
