PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Taibat O. Ahmed, a sophomore at Taconic High School, for a second year in a row, has won as this year's first-place winner of the Veterans of Foreign Wars "Voice of Democracy" essay contest for Pittsfield.

 

Ahmed has won $1,000 as first-place winner for Taconic High School, $1,000 as first-place winner for Pittsfield, $250 as first place for District 9 Berkshire County, and $2,000 for third-place winner at the Massachusetts VFW state level for a total of $4,250.  

 

Awards were presented to her on March 2 at Taconic High School.

 

The length of the essay was limited to a 3 to 5 minute oral duration. The theme of this year's essay was titled: "America: Where do we go from here?" 

 

Other winners for Berkshire County, District 9 were, second place, from VFW Housatonic Post 8183, Victoria M. Pevzner of Great Barrington; and third place, from VFW Lenox Post 12079, Paige E. Schultze of Otis. In addition, Inyene-Abasi Idara Bell, a freshman at Miss Hall's School, has won $1,000 as its first place winner.

 

Ahmed is in the SEA Academy, and has been on the high honor roll every quarter since the sixth grade.  She also runs track and participates in Taconic's Fall Festival of Shakespeare and spring musicals. She is the daughter of Abdulrahim and Halimat Ahmed. 

 

Voice of Democracy judges for Berkshire County District 9 were retired Army Lt. Col. James Clark, Pittsfield school teacher Rose Ann Sturgeon and retired Pittsfield School Committee Chair Kathy Yon.

 

Since 1947, the Voice of Democracy has been the Veterans of Foreign Wars' premier scholarship program. More than 50,000 high school students compete for more than $2.3 million in scholarships and incentives each year. Students compete by writing and recording a broadcast script on an annual patriotic theme. Starting within a local community, a winner can advance to county, state and a national first-place award of $30,000 in addition to awards given at the preliminary levels of competition. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the NASSP National Advisory List of Contests and Activities.