Rep. Liss and Sen. Bieda to Present "Voice of Democracy" Scholarships

Rep. Liss encourages schools and students to participate in award program in 2012

LANSING - State Representative Lesia Liss (Warren) and State Senator Steve Bieda (D-Macomb) will present scholarships to the winners of the 2011-2012 Voice of Democracy Scholarship Program on Saturday, Jan. 28. The presentation is part of the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ 33rd Annual Mid-Winter Conference in Kalamazoo, which Liss will be attending. The scholarship program is sponsored by the VFW, and this year’s theme was “Is There Pride in Serving in Our Military?”

“I strongly encourage students to take part in this program,” Liss said. “The ‘Voice of Democracy’ competition challenges young people to consider what service means and how it relates to preserving democracy. Not only do the scholarship recipients benefit, but all students who participate win by learning about service and citizenship.”

The scholarships include the $6,000 Ralph J. Seabold scholarship, which includes an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. and the Freedom Foundation in Valley Forge, Penn. Second place is a $3,500 scholarship from the Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW of Michigan and third place is a $2,500 scholarship from the Hazel Park VFW. A dozen scholarships worth more than $20,000 will be given to students in grades 9-12. Awards will also be given to this year’s Patriot’s Pen contest winners for grades 6-8 and the VFW âTeacher of the Yearâ? recipient.

“I encourage more schools and students to take part in this program during the next school year,” Liss said. “It is a great opportunity for our young people to explore the duties and privileges of living in a democracy.”