Elkins High School student to represent West Virginia at national scholarship competition

ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) — An Elkins High School freshman is one of 51 finalists heading to Hillsdale, Michigan for the final round of the 85th American Legion High School Oratory Scholarship Program.

Juliann Harlan will travel to Hillsdale College at the end of the week to represent West Virginia as she vies for scholarships worth up to $25,000. The scholarship contest’s theme is “A constitutional speech contest” which will have competitors deliver a rehearsed eight-to-ten-minute address and a randomly assigned three-to-five-minute oration on a constitutional topic.

“I talk about the first amendment, which is freedom of speech and more specifically the constitutionality of books and curriculum bannings in high schools across our nation, because it’s so vitally important to me that everyone’s voices are heard because that’s one of the biggest parts of our first amendment,” said Harlan.

Harlan said she’s glad that West Virginia is getting the representation that it needs as a small state, and she hopes she can show people that West Virginia might be small, but it is mighty.

Harlan’s teachers are also excited about her journey. Andrew Carroll, the chair of the English Department at Elkins High School and the Speech and Debate teacher, said that this is a great experience for Harlan.

“We’ve had other students in the past from Elkins High School succeed and I think win at the regional contest, but not win at the state contest. So, this is really cool that Juliann is doing this as a freshman, and the folks are really excited about her and it’s a great experience you know to be a freshman in high school and get a good trip up to Hillsdale, Michigan,” said Carroll.

Quarterfinals for the contest will be held on Saturday, May 18 from 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Semifinals will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Finals will take place on May 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and will be broadcasted live on www.legion.org .

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