Simon DeMott claims third American Legion oratorical competition

ALBANY — Simon DeMott, an 11th-grade homeschool student, won his third consecutive American Legion Post 30 Oratorical Scholarship Contest, held recently at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

With this victory, DeMott qualifies for the district contest to be held later this month.

Simon has advanced to the state level Department of Georgia Contest the past two years, impressing the judges when he delivered his 8-10-minute prepared oration entitled “Seeds of Freedom,” which chronicles the growth of individual constitutional rights in the 6th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, as well as numerous Supreme Court decisions. His 3-5-minute oration on the randomly selected constitutional topic the Eighth Amendment was equally extraordinary.

Since 1938, the American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program has encouraged the nation’s high school students to study the U.S. Constitution and to hone their public speaking skills.

Simon was awarded a $300 cash scholarship and has won well over $2,000 in prior American Legion oratory contests. He is the son of Jeff and Lisa DeMott.

Simon is a Life Scout, a lifeguard and has appeared in numerous theater productions. Three of his older siblings have participated in the contest and were also successful public speakers.

Special Photo: Post 30