Homeschool student vies for national scholarship

Sarah Hartland, 16, is heading for a state competition after boldly declaring the Constitution of the United States is no longer relevant in a five minute speech she gave to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4042 on Dec. 4.

“I feel through history and just through the direction our country is generally headed that politicians and lawmakers aren’t giving the Constitution the relevancy that it’s supposed to have,” Hartland said about her reasons behind the speech.

Hartland went on to explain that while she wasn’t judging the decisions as good or bad, many of the New Deal policies set into motion during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt laid the ground work for the Constitution losing its relevancy.

She wrote her speech in answer to this year’s question for the VFW “Voices of Democracy” high school essay and speech contest, “Is the Constitution still relevant?” Hartland earned $250 for winning the Bigfork contest and $250 for winning in district one, which is made up of entrants from Darby to Eureka.

VFW state quartermaster Bill Edgar said Hartland was just two points ahead of the second place entrant in the district. What separated Hartland from the crowd of 32 district entrants was not just the contents of her essay, but how well she spoke.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal,” Edgar said.

Hartland is competing with the winners of the six other Montana districts in the state competition for a $1,000 scholarship, a $1,000 paid trip to Washington D.C. and the potential to win up to $35,000 in the national competition. Edgar said Hartland is the first homeschooled student the district has sent to the state competition.

The national VFW has run the “Voices of Democracy” essay and speech contest since 1947. Bigfork has participated for as long as Edgar can remember. He said it’s one of several scholarship programs the VFW does throughout the year to help expose students to the country’s origins.

“We have noticed over the years there’s been an erosion of patriotism and history — understanding history,” Edgar said. “Through these essays, it gives kids a chance to see the history of the country and the meanings in the Constitution and the reasons men and women serve in the military.”

Hartland agrees with Edgar and said the Constitution is not something many people her age know much about, but it is a topic that fascinates her. She said the scholarship money she won will go toward her future education in communications and political science.

Although she is technically considered a senior in high school, Hartland is already taking classes toward those majors at Flathead Valley Community College.

Because she is enrolled at FVCC, she can no longer participate in the activity that spurred her desire for a career in politics and communications, speech and debate. For the last three years, Hartland has competed in the National Christian Comunications and Forensics Association, which gives homeschooled high school students a chance to compete in things like speech.

Hartland said competing in speech and debate enabled her to write a speech like the one that put her in the state competition.

“Just from the nuts and bolts of it all, learning how to write and speak effectively, to giving the actual speech,” Hartland said. “The opportunity to experiment with new things in a safe environment is a large part of where I am today.”