Emma Ko, a home-schooled senior, was selected the winner of the American Legion 1st Division Oratorical Contest in Denton on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. Previously, she was selected a winner in the Post 178 contest in Frisco and the 4th District contest in Royce City. For winning the three contests, she received scholarships totaling $3,500.

Other 1st Division contest participants included orators from Post 655 in Haltom City and Post 71 in Denton. Each of the contestants delivered two orations, a prepared oration and a randomly assigned constitutional topic oration. Ko impressed the judges with her prepared topic, “The Humble Article,” and assigned topic, Amendment 3 concerning the quartering of soldiers in peacetime and war.

Ko will now advance to the American Legion Department Oratorical Contest on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, in San Antonio. There, four division contest winners from across the entire state will compete for the opportunity to participate in the national contest in Indianapolis in March.