Hempfield School District student Elizabeth Aiken is the winner of this year's Voice of Democracy Essay Contest.

Elizabeth won the contest as a freshman this past school year. As the winner, she received a $200 cash prize. The theme of this year's essay contest was "Why Is the Veteran Important?"

The program is sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Established in 1947, the Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 25,000 students in grades nine through 12 from across the country enter to win their share of the more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program.

To learn more about the nationwide program, visit http://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships.