Public speaking can be fun, especially when there is up to a 30,000 dollar scholarship on the line. The VFW is putting on a contest called the Voice of Democracy, and it is a high school student’s chance to win up to a 30,000 scholarship to the American University of their choice. This contest, which started in 1947, has been going on for 69 years now. Middle schoolers, don’t fret there is still an option, called the Patriot’s Pen Essay writing competition. Kids in the grades 6-8 will be allowed to compete for up to 500 dollars at the state level, and 5,000 dollars at the National Level.

Joel Rustad, a gym teacher here at Cannon Falls, served for 10 years in the Army, 8 in the reserves and 2 in the Minnesota National Guard. When he sees kids taking part in these contests, it means a great deal to him. “It tells me that kids aren’t living life on the ‘surface’. I feel encouraged to see kids look beyond themselves…” Rustad stated. The words written and spoken by kids on topics, such as this year’s “My Responsibility to America”, inspire change and show that not all kids just follow blindly behind whatever the media is saying is cool. These competitions give kids and teenagers a chance to form their own opinion on what is going on in our country and it encourages them to think outside the box on the important issues. When asked why students should enter the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen, Mr. Rustad responded with, “ It gives students a chance to reflect and appreciate the opportunities our country has for them.  It also gives them a chance to be proud of what America is and what it stands for.” We all at some point need to ask ourselves what we can do for our country, and for Mr. Rustad it is fairly simple. “To be a man of integrity.  I want to be a great father and husband. I want to be a valued employee.  To be an active member in my community. And to respect and honor my country. I hope to do this by modeling this to others.”   

We can see that these contests aren’t just about the money, but rather more importantly, they are about showing our support for veterans by giving our respect to them by caring enough to speak up about the important issues. We all have a creative side. Students  need to tap into that so that they can make a difference and eventually, break the molds that society has set in place. Now here is one piece of advice from Mr.Rustad. “I think a winning essay/speech will make the writer take a deep look into themselves.  It will be personal, powerful, and positive.”