BREMERTON — Washington Youth Academy cadets earned all three award entries during the Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy speech writing contest at the local level.

Cadet Mateo Wegzyn took the top prize and will go on to compete at the district level. Cadet Remington Dean took second, and cadet Dylan Hart took third.

Larry Pierce, director of Washington Youth Academy, said, “A special ‘thanks’ to Tod Hall, English faculty, for his involvement in helping the cadets prepare for the competition and his guidance in helping them be successful in the Voice Of Democracy competition.

“Our cadets routinely place in one or two the top three prizes. However, this is the first time we’ve swept the competition.”

First prize is $100 as well as moving on to competing at the district level. Second prize is $75. Third prize is $50.

The VFW had an awards dinner and ceremony at VFW Post 239 in Bremerton on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Hall said that all of the cadets who entered the contest attended the ceremony in order to continue to support each other, including cadets Benner, Bennett, Harmon, Jones, Le and Oliver.

“Each saw themselves as critical friends rather than competitors,” Hall said. “They supported each other’s growth as they worked and reworked their speeches.”

The VFW established the Voice of Democracy program in 1947 to provide students grades 9-12 the opportunity to express themselves in regards to democratic ideas and principles. The national first-place winner receives a $30,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. Other national scholarships range from $1,000-$16,000, and the first-place winner from each (state) VFW Department wins a minimum scholarship of $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

— Edited by Michelle Beahm