Deerfield-Windsor School senior wins Albany Exchange Club Patriotic Speech Contest
Meenal Joshi earns $500 scholarship, will compete in state contest in June
From Staff Reports
ALBANY — Meenal Joshi, a senior at Deerfield-Windsor School, won the Albany Exchange Club Patriotic Speech Contest on Friday, earning a scholarship for $500 and a chance to compete for the Georgia District Exchange Club $1500 scholarship in Valdosta on June 3.
Joshi’s gave a speech titled, “Pokémon, Pokewoman and the Freedom Game.” She used the imagery of the 21st century Pokémon game to take her audience from 1776 through the signing of the U.S. Constitution, the Seneca Falls Women’s Right Conference, the Civil War, the passage of the 19th Amendment to the 2016 presidential election.
As a part of the contest and following her prepared speech, Joshi answered an impromptu question concerning the need to increase voter participation. She addressed the question by encouraging a broader and deeper study of civics and U.S. Constitution combined with a greater emphasis on patriotic programs similar to the Exchange Club’s speech contest.
She won the State American Legion Oratorical Contest in March and competes at the national contest in Indianapolis, Ind. in two weeks. She is vying for an $18,000 scholarship that weekend.
Joshi also won the Joel Early Sons of the American Revolution Chapter oratorical contest three weeks ago and will be defending her title when she competes for the Georgia SAR title on April 29 in Barnesville.
She has won more than $4,000 in scholarship money through competing in speech contests this year.
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