Club American Legion members judge student speech competition, award scholarships

Members of the National Press Club and its American Legion Post 20 judged contestants in the 2016 D.C. American Legion oratorical contest in which Wilson High School students won college scholarships.

The winner of a $3,000 scholarship, 16-year-old Chad Hoyle Hayes, will travel to Indianapolis in April to compete for national scholarships worth up to $18,000.

Classmate Alexander John Koll, also a junior at Wilson, won a $1,000 scholarship for second place in the annual speech competition on topics focusing on the U.S. Constitution.

"The D.C. Department of the American Legion is fortunate to have members such as Press Club members highly qualified to judge our contest," said Calvin Tilden, Commander of the D.C. Department.

Five Post 20 members participated in the event held at the Woman's War Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on Feb. 27. Students from every state plus Legion departments in Europe and U.S. territories will compete for additional scholarships April 15-17 in Indianapolis, national headquarters of the American Legion.