The Times, Feb 20, 2010
Tigard High junior Jane Whitmore defeated 15 other finalists in the Oregon VFW Voice of Democracy statewide contest in Hood River on Saturday to win a $2,000 scholarship for college and an opportunity to compete nationally for scholarships worth up to $30,000.
The competition is an audio-essay contest for high school students in grades nine through 12, that annually provides more than $3 million in scholarships.
Besides the scholarship, Whitmore won an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., March 6 through 10, and another trip to Valley Forge in June where she will join with other state winners.
Whitmore represents Tualatin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and Auxiliary 3452. She shared honors with Tualatin High Senior Ashley Thiesen in Tualatin’s local VOD competition. Each received a $150 check for college.
The theme of the contest was “Does America Still Have Heroes?â€
Whitmore initially won at the district level, collecting $200 college money, to become a finalist for the state honors.
In a related patriotic essay contest for junior high students – Patriot’s Pen – Tualatin eighth-grader Anika Girardi was awarded a $100 savings bond for college by the Tualatin VFW Post.