GNBVT Student Places Second in District for National Voices of Democracy Contest
Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech senior, Keely Clapp has been named the district wide second place winner in the Voices of Democracy scholarship. Keely is currently enrolled in the Legal and Protective program and is a member of the Student Council.
The Voice of Democracy scholarship program was instituted in 1947 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and is its premier scholarship program. Nearly 57,000 high school students compete for more than $2 million in scholarships and incentives annually. In order to apply, students compete through a written and audio recording of an essay on a theme that is changed yearly. This year’s theme is, “America: Where do we go from here?”
Prizes and scholarships can be awarded at the Post, District, state and national level. State winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, to tour the city, be honored by the VFW and its Auxiliary and receive their portion of $154,000 in national awards, the top scholarship being $30,000. The Voice of Democracy is open to students in grades 9-12 who are enrolled in a public private or parochial high school or home study program in the United States.
Our GNBVT students have participated in the VFW essay contest for almost 20 years. For the past ten years or so, Student Council Advisor and History Teacher Kim Fortin has encouraged our students to participate. Last year Eijah Gonsalves won the contest for the whole district and for the last three years prior, the winner was 2020 graduate, Sophia Fortin.
Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech is proud to have our students participate in this elite scholarship program. Congratulations to Keely Clapp!
We can rise above the past two years and go back to the America we deserve. From here we can rise above and love people no matter their political views, race, religion, sex, sexuality or if they have a disability.
Respect is defined as the feeling of deep admiration for someone, or something elicited by their abilities, qualities or achievements. Citizens of the United States must respect the country they live in and admire and stand on the beliefs that this country was started on by our founding fathers. Respecting this country means more than abiding by the laws made by the federal government; it means to help the less fortunate, donate to charity, love each other no matter what their political views are and respect veterans and all they have done for our country.