On Monday, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) proudly delivered over $173,000 in scholarships and awards to the national winners of its 2023-2024 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth scholarship programs.
The 2024 VFW Washington Conference in Washington, D.C. featured the 77th annual Parade of Winners celebration, presented by Twisted X, which announced this year’s national winners.
VFW National Commander Duane Sarmiento was joined by VFW Auxiliary President Carla Martinez in announcing Sophia Lin as this year’s national Voice of Democracy first place winner and awarding her the $35,000 T.C. Selman Memorial Scholarship first prize. Lin, a high school sophomore at BASIS Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, is sponsored by Scottsdale VFW Post 3513.
Second-place winner Ella Catchpole, a student at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming, received the $21,000 Charles Kuralt Memorial Scholarship, which was sponsored by VFW Post 9439 and its Auxiliary. Lydia Prout, a junior at Melrose Area High School in Melrose, Minnesota, and sponsored by Melrose VFW Post 7050 and its Auxiliary, was named third place winner and received a $15,000 VFW Scholarship. All other state winners were awarded at least a $1,000 college scholarship. See the complete list of 2024 Voice of Democracy national winners.
Bryant Day, the first place winner of the 2024 Patriot’s Pen, was also honored at tonight’s awards ceremony. Day, sponsored by VFW Post 9943 and its Auxiliary in Mansfield, Ohio, received the $5,000 Patriot’s Pen Award.
The Patriot’s Pen second-place winner, Peeradon Bauman, sponsored by VFW Post 12146 in Ban Chang, Rayong Province, Thailand, will get a $4,000 prize, while the third-place winner, Anisha Hiremath, sponsored by VFW Post 12104 in Bastrop, Texas, will earn $3,500. See the complete list of 2024 Patriot’s Pen national winners.
