June 24, 2025
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Marquette student finishes 3rd out of 5,000 essay contestants in VFW competition

Junior wins $1,250 scholarship

By Shaw Local News Network
Rylee Jo Giffin, a junior at Marquette Academy High School in Ottawa, is the recipient of the Terry L. McKinney Memorial Scholarship Award in the amount of $1,250. Giffin, the District 9 champion, was sponsored by Marseilles Post 5506 in Marseilles.

Rylee Jo Giffin, a junior at Marquette Academy High School in Ottawa, is the recipient of the Terry L. McKinney Memorial Scholarship Award for $1,250. Giffin, the District 9 champion, was sponsored by Marseilles Post 5506 in Marseilles. (Photo provided by John DeGroot)

The State of Illinois Veterans of Foreign Wars announced its Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen Winners at the recent 77th annual Voice of Democracy in Springfield.

This year’s Voice of Democracy theme was “Why is the veteran important?”

Rylee Giffin, daughter of Sarah Giffin, received the Terry L. McKinney Memorial Award and a scholarship for $1,250. Her essay earned her a third-place finish out of the 5,000 essays that were submitted. She attributed the inspiration for her essay to several worthy veterans from her family circle: Sam Giffin (her maternal grandfather and Vietnam veteran); Jack Leininger (her mother’s godfather and Vietnam veteran); Steve Shanks (longtime friend of the family and Vietnam veteran); Steve O’ Flannagan (friend of the family and Vietnam veteran; and Zachary Huffman (her godfather).

Giffin was sponsored by the Marseilles Memorial Post 5506 and the District 9 champion.

Giffin is a junior at Marquette Academy High School in Ottawa. Upon graduation, she plans to join the Illinois National Guard and pursue a degree in psychology at Illinois State University.