Author: Lexi Lai
Date: 2025-2026
Activity: VFW Voice of Democracy Essay Contest
Medium: <5 min essay
The Veterans of Foreign Wars annually holds an essay contest on a specific topic, asking high school contestants to submit a written and/or video essay. The topic for the 2025-2026 contest was “How Do You Show Patriotism?”
We are living in a polarized country, so patriotism is more important than ever. I wrote my essay, “Choosing Patriotism in a Divided Time”, in response, which subsequently has won the District and State awards for the top Voice of Democracy essay.
Essay