Post 8870 Student Winner Receives VFW State Recognition By Fred M. Apgar
Olivia Olsen is congratulated by her parents, Vivian and Greg
At its mid-winter convention, the Washington State Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) recognized an Edmonds- Woodway High School junior for her entry in the VFW Voice of Democracy Audio Essay contest. Olivia Olson’s essay was awarded third place honors. The audio essay contest is open to all high school students, and Olivia’s essay addressed this year’s theme, “My Responsibility to America”. The convention was held in Vancouver, WA on January 21, 2017, and at the awards banquet that evening, Olivia was recognized for her essay. In addition to a plaque, she also received a scholarship.
For the third consecutive year, Olivia had won first place honors in the Voice of Democracy Essay contest for VFW Post #8870, Edmonds. After being named winner at the Post level, Olivia won District 1 honors, which qualified her for consideration at the state level. As a middle school student, Olivia was a three-time winner of the Patriot Pen Essay for the Edmonds Post. Olivia is a junior at Edmonds-Woodway High School and has earned an outstanding GPA while pursuing a rigorous academic school. Olivia is a member of her school’s Varsity tennis and cross country teams and is a member of the Debate Club. Her passion is public speaking. Olivia lives in Edmonds with her parents, Greg and Vivian, who are both graduates of the United States Air Force Academy.