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Junior's Essay Takes First in American Legion Contests

Junior's Essay Takes First in American Legion Contests

Fox Chapel Area High School junior Ori Goldin was named the first-place winner of both the state and Allegheny County American Legion Essay Contest. The essay topic was “Why is the 1st Amendment Important in America?”. Essays were judged on proper English structure, accuracy, the extent of the information, and originality.

As the state first-place winner, Ori has won $3,500, along with a trip to the PA American Legion Convention in July 2025 where he will read his winning essay to the assembled delegates. Ori was also invited to the American Legion Allegheny County & the American Legion Auxiliary Allegheny County Council 2025 Youth Achievement Awards dinner, held at SNPJ Lodge 106 April 13 in Imperial, during which he received a medal and a certificate.

Since the inception of the Pennsylvania state essay contest in 1935, the American Legion has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships, while local American Legion posts, counties, districts, and sections have also offered awards and prizes to their respective best essay winners. The contest is open to students in grades 9-12 from across the state of Pennsylvania.