The Washington Township VFW recently announced the winners of its annual middle-school Patriot’s Pen and high-school Voice of Democracy essay contests.
Middle-school winners:
- First place: Andrew Emma, eighth-grader at Orchard Valley
- Second place: Jennica Thompson, eighth-grader at Bunker Hill
- Third place: Joseph Capalbo, sixth grader at Chestnut Ridge
Emma’s entry will move onto the tri-county level of the competition encompassing Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
High-school winners:
- First place: Addison Johnson, Williamstown High
- Second place: Hannah Mroz, Washington Township
- Third place: Billie Boone, Washington Township
Johnson’s essay moves onto the tri-county level of the competition.
The 2025-’26 theme for the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy essay contests was “How are you showing patriotism and support for our country?”
The nationwide competition gives middle-school students an opportunity to write 300- to 400-word essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. More than 120,000 students participated in the contest last year, with the first-place winner receiving $5,000.
Nearly 40,000 high-school students compete for more than $2 million in scholarships and incentives by submitting a three-to-five-minute, audio-recorded essay. The top winner earns a $35,000 scholarship.
