Kansas City, MO…The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliary proudly announce Savannah Wittman, a senior at Bret Harte High School in Angels Camp, Calif., was named first-place national winner and recipient of the $30,000 T.C. Selman Memorial Scholarship award in the 2016-17 Voice of Democracy Scholarship program. The announcement was made last night during the “Parade of Winners” at the 2017 VFW Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. VFW Post 12118 and its Auxiliary in Copperopolis, Calif., sponsored Savannah.

Watch Savannah deliver her speech on-demand at www.vfw.org/VFWDC2017.

“Hearing Savannah’s essay reassures me that the leaders of tomorrow will be intelligent, patriotic and passionate Americans,” said VFW National Commander Brian Duffy. “For 70 years, the Voice of Democracy competition has provided high school students the opportunity to speak out on freedom and democracy, and I’m proud to say this year’s national finalists shared $154,000 in scholarships.”

Enacted in 1947, the Voice of Democracy program requires entrants to write and record a three- to five-minute script on a patriotic theme. “My Responsibility to America” was this year’s theme, and more than 38,000 students participate in the program annually worldwide.

Photo Caption: VFW National Commander Brian Duffy and VFW Auxiliary President Colette Bishop present Savannah Wittman with her $30,000 award.