Selecting Patriotic Contests Winners to Advance to the State Level
Three professors from the County College of Morris (CCM) Department of Communication, along with staff and the public relations intern from the Office of Marketing and Public Relations, recently served as judges for two Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) District 10 scholarship contests. District 10 covers all of Morris County.
Dr. Matthew Jones, of Randolph, professor and chair of the Department of Communication; Professor Michelle Altieri, of Hamburg; and
Dr. Matthew Jones, Dr. Robb Lauzon, Jamie Corter, Kathleen Brunet Eagan, Professor Michelle Altieri and Allison Ognibene.
Dr. Robb Lauzon, of Budd Lake, judged the Voice of Democracy contest for high school students. In that contest, students were asked to provide a three- to five-minute audio essay on “Why My Vote Matters.” A total of 5 submissions were provided in that contest.
“We were impressed by the students’ ability to articulate the importance of participating in the election process from the local to national level,” said Jones. “It was an honor to take part in this project as we were encouraged by the insights offered by these high school students.”
Kathleen Brunet Eagan, of Jefferson, director of the Office of Marketing and Public Relations; Allison Ognibene, of Sparta, marketing and public relations specialist; and Jamie Corter, of Sparta, public relations intern, served as judges for the Patriot’s Pen contest for the eighth graders. In that contest, students were asked to explain “Why I Honor the American Flag.” A total of 23 submissions were provided in that contest.
“We were delighted that the VFW selected CCM to provide judges for this year’s contests,” said Brunet Eagan. “It was a rewarding experience to read and hear about the pride these students have for our country.”
“For our part, we are grateful to the CCM professors and staff who volunteered their professional expertise in judging the winners for this year’s contests,” said Rich Olsen, VFW district coordinator.
Final first, second and third place winners will be selected by the district based on the scoring provided by the CCM judges. Each winner will receive a monetary reward and special recognition at the district’s Award Luncheon in January. The first place winners will advance to the state level competition. The state winners will then compete nationally for scholarships with a top award as much as $30,000.
