November 2025
Submitted by: Nancy Floyd-Richardson
Wakulla High School is proud to recognize Rose Mitchell, Violet Sexton, Bryson Wombles, and Candra Dow as the school-level winners of the Voice of Democracy Patriotic Audio-Essay Competition.
Since 1947, the Voice of Democracy has been the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ premier scholarship program. Each year, nearly 26,000 high school students compete for more than $2 million in scholarships.
Students compete by writing and recording a three-to-five-minute audio essay on an annual patriotic theme. VFW’s 2025 – 2026 theme was, “How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support For Our Country?” Students are judged on originality, content, and delivery.
“Congrats to our winners,” said WHS Principal Michele Falk. “For many of the participating students, this was their first time writing and presenting a speech at the high-school level. Public speaking can be daunting, and I applaud them for working to improve their skills.”
School-level winners move on to the Post level of the competition, where one student will be selected to represent Wakulla at the District Level. Beyond that, one winner moves on to the State and National levels of the competition.