Danvers Students Win Local VFW Post 2359 Patriotic Essay Competitions

Danvers, MA — Commander Chuck Gould of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2359 is proud to announce the local winners of the 2025-2026 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen scholarship competitions. This year’s theme for both programs was: "How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?"

The Voice of Democracy Winner. The first-place winner for the Voice of Democracy audio-essay competition is Sophia Hoctor a 12th grade student at Danvers High School. As the Post champion, Sophia will receive a $250 award and will now advance to the District level competition.

Established in 1947, the Voice of Democracy program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves through a recorded patriotic essay. Nationally, the first-place winner receives a $35,000 scholarship paid directly to their university or vocational school.

The Patriot’s Pen Winner. The first-place winner for the Patriot’s Pen essay competition is Anika Bolduc, a 7th grade student at Holten-Richmond Middle School. Anika will receive a $100 award and her essay will also move on to the District-level competition.

Patriot’s Pen is a nationwide competition for students in grades 6-8 that encourages young minds to examine America’s history and their own experiences in modern society. The national first-place winner receives a $5,000 award.

VFW Post 2359 is honored to provide a platform where students can share their perspectives on patriotism. Reading and hearing these essays gives us great confidence in the future of our nation. We are incredibly proud of Sophia and Anika and wish them the best of luck as they advance to the next stage.

Students from the Danvers and surrounding towns participated in the programs this year, competing for local prizes and the chance to represent VFW Post 2359 at the state and national levels.

For more information on the VFW’s youth scholarship programs, please visit www.vfw.org or contact VFW Post 2359 at 978-560-7112 or post2359@vfwma.org.

Join the VFW! VFW Post 2359 is also actively seeking new members to help support these youth programs and provide advocacy for local veterans. Our mission to serve veterans and the community is only possible through the dedication of our members. If you have served our country in a foreign conflict, we invite you to join our ranks and continue your service through the meaningful work we do here at home.

Membership is open to any U.S. citizen who has served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces and has served in a theater of operations that would qualify for a campaign medal, who have served in Korea, or who has received Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay (https://www.vfw.org/join/eligibility).

For more information on joining VFW Post 2359, please contact us at: post2359@vfwma.org.