St. Joseph High School senior Caleb Grigg was advised on December 5th that he was the local winner of the "Voice of Democracy" essay contest sponsored by Conway's Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2259. The theme of the 2025-2026 contest was "How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?" Post Quartermaster Kevin Walburn recognized Caleb here in front of his fellow seniors. He was presented a check for $150. His essay and the voice recording he made of it are being forwarded to district and state levels for further judging. From there, it could go on to national judging which awards a $35,000 scholarship to a college, university or vocational/technical school of the winner's choice.
This was not the first time Caleb entered the contest. He submitted an entry last year and also won 1st Place, both locally and in the district competition. That essay wound up earning 4th Place at the state level where he was awarded a $500 scholarship.