MONTPELIER — Erin Connor of Bridport will again represent Vermont at the national contest of the High School Oratorical Scholarship Program, the premier scholarship program of the American Legion. As a sophomore, Connor made her first trip to the national contest in 2011 and progressed to the second round of the three-round contest. Her parents are Paul and Marian Connor of Bridport.
Connor will compete with 50-plus other state winners speaking on the Constitution of the United States at the national contest in Indianapolis, Ind., in April. National scholarships awarded annually total $138,000. The first-place finalist receives a scholarship award of $18,000, second and third place receive $16,000 and $14,000, respectively. The contest finals will be live-streamed Sunday morning, April 21, on Legion TV at www.legion.org.
Connor has represented Middlebury Union High School on the girls’ varsity basketball team and as captain of the girls’ varsity softball team. She serves as a board member of the Epilepsy Foundation of Vermont. In 2010, Connor was selected as Miss Vermont Outstanding Teen, a yearlong commitment shadowing Miss Vermont and promoting community service.
Enrolled in the highly competitive Vermont Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Connor is in her senior year at Middlebury Union High School. As she pursues her high school endeavors, she is earning dual credits at Vermont Technical College through the VAST program. Her studies through VAST have earned her a private pilot’s license and are helping fulfill her goal of a degree leading to a career in aviation.
The High School Oratorical Contest is one of several scholarship programs supported by the American Legion Department of Vermont to help young people get the higher education they need to participate in tomorrow’s society.
Students and their parents and teachers interested in scholarship opportunities available through the American Legion should visit the Department website, www.vtlegion.org, or contact department headquarters at (802) 223-7131 or [email protected] .