Bath valedictorian wins national VFW scholarship, first Mainer to take top prize
Olivia Drewniak’s $35,000 VFW scholarship will help pay for Boston College, and she became the first Mainer to win the contest’s national top prize.
A $35,000 scholarship can cover a meaningful share of a year’s tuition, books and fees, and for Morse High School valedictorian Olivia Drewniak it also turned a speech about patriotism into a statewide first. Drewniak, of Bath, won the national top prize in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy contest, becoming the first Mainer ever to take first place.
The scholarship is paid directly to her college or vocational school, and Drewniak is headed to Boston College, where she plans to major in political science and biology. Her win puts a hard number on what a single essay can mean for a local family: the contest’s top award can help offset one of the biggest costs in higher education before a student ever steps onto campus.
The VFW named Drewniak the 2025-2026 Voice of Democracy first-place winner during the Parade of Winners on April 11 at the Union League in Philadelphia. Her essay answered the year’s prompt, “How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?” and reflected on service, family and civic duty rather than a conventional patriotic speech.
That theme fit closely with Drewniak’s own life. Her mother, Megan, recently became a Coast Guard captain after 23 years of service, and Drewniak said that example shaped her view of patriotism. Drewniak enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in November 2024, attended basic training at Cape May, New Jersey, last summer and is now finishing graduation requirements while preparing to serve as a boatswain’s mate.
Her path also shows how a Morse student can compete for a major national scholarship with the right support. English teacher Brian Stanton encouraged her to enter, and Bath VFW District 7 commander Edward Harmon praised the seriousness and curiosity of students who take part. The Voice of Democracy program, established in 1947, is open to students in grades 9 through 12 and draws about 28,000 entrants nationwide each year, with about $1.6 million in scholarships and incentives available.
For Bath and Sagadahoc County, Drewniak’s win is more than a feel-good school honor. It links a local valedictorian, a family shaped by military service and a scholarship contest that can move real money toward college, showing other Morse students that national recognition is within reach. The VFW’s next theme is “What a Veteran Taught Me About America,” with an Oct. 31 entry deadline.
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