Ariadne Dulchinos, a Barrington High School senior, was selected as the VFW Rhode Island Voice of Democracy Scholarship Winner for 2020.  

After successfully competing at the Post and District Level, Ari was named the state winner during the Department's annual awards banquet held recently in Cranston. She received $900 in VFW state and local awards and earlier this month competed at the national level in Washington, D.C. Ari received a $1,500 scholarship and a laptop computer. 

The Voice of Democracy is a worldwide audio-essay competition that requires entrants to write and record a three-to-five minute essay on a patriotic-based theme. It provides high school students an opportunity to speak out on freedom and democracy.  

Around 40,000 students participate in the competition each year and VFW awards more than $2.1 million in scholarships every year.  

Ari was one of 53 finalists that traveled to Washington, D.C. for the national competition.