Alexander Johnson, a freshman at TMI – The Episcopal School of Texas, won first place in a local Veterans of Foreign Wars audio essay contest, sponsored by the VFW Post 7108. The contest is part of the national organization’s Patriotic Audio Essay Competition, in which students in grades nine through 12 were asked to submit written and recorded essays on the topic, “Why I’m Optimistic About Our Nation’s Future.”

Johnson delivered his speech and received his award in a Dec. 9 ceremony at the post’s headquarters in Helotes. His speech will be judged on the district level for possible further advancement to state. All state winners are invited to Washington D.C., where their essays will compete in the finals, March 1-5, 2014.

Since 1947, the Voice of Democracy has been the VFW’s premier scholarship program, in which, more than 50,000 high-school students compete each year. The grand prize for the Patriotic Audio Essay Competition is a $30,000 scholarship.