WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) proudly presented nearly $175,000 in national scholarships and awards as it named the winners of its 2024-2025 Voice of Democracy® and Patriot’s Pen®youth scholarship competitions.
This year’s national winners were announced at the 2025 VFW Washington Conference in Washington, D.C., during the Parade of Winners ceremony, sponsored by Twisted X.
VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt was joined by VFW Auxiliary President Brenda Bryant to announce this year’s national first place Voice of Democracy winner, Tri Vu. His award-winning essay answered this year’s thought-provoking theme, “Is America Today Our Forefathers’ Vision?” A high school senior at Central High School from Manchester, New Hampshire, Vu was sponsored by Queen City Memorial VFW Post 8214 in Manchester. Following the announcement, Vu, who was unable to attend the ceremony, accepted his award via video message.
Second place winner Caleb Smith, a junior at The Key School in Annapolis, Maryland, was sponsored by VFW Post 304 in Annapolis, and was awarded the $21,000 Charles Kuralt Memorial Scholarship. Della Phillips, a senior homeschool student in Fargo, North Dakota, who was sponsored by VFW Post 1874 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, was named the third place winner and awarded the $15,000 VFW Scholarship. All other state winners were awarded a college scholarship worth at least $1,000, with more than $1.4 million being awarded this year.
National winners of the VFW’s 2024-2025 Voice Of Democracy scholarship contest were:

First place winner Tri Vu, from Manchester, NH, represented the VFW Department of New
Hampshire, and was awarded the $35,000 T.C. Selman Memorial Scholarship.
Second place winner Caleb Smith, from Annapolis, MD, represented the VFW Department of
Maryland, and was awarded the $21,000 Charles Kuralt Memorial Scholarship.
Third place winner Della Phillips, from Fargo, ND, represented the VFW Department of North
Dakota, and was awarded the $15,000 VFW Scholarship.
Jacey Clark, from Guernsey, WY , represented the VFW Department of Wyoming, and was
awarded the $1,000 Department of Maine Scholarship “to Remember the U.S.S. Maine.”
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The 2025-2026 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen competitions will open soon. To learn more about the programs visit vfw.org/YouthScholarships.