November 19, 2013
Upper Dublin High School student wins statewide speech contest
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg 鈥� An 11th grade student from Upper Dublin High School delivered her own 鈥淕ettysburg Address鈥� today in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln鈥檚 famous battlefield speech.
Lauren Pyfer of Fort Washington was the winner of the In Lincoln鈥檚 Footsteps statewide speech contest, which was designed to honor the historic significance of
Lincoln鈥檚 Gettysburg Address and to reinforce its relevance to the present day. In
addition to earning the opportunity to read her speech during the official Dedication
Day ceremonies at Soldiers鈥� National Cemetery, Pyfer also received a $5,000 cash scholarship
prize and a one-year tuition scholarship to any of the 14 Pennsylvania State System
of Higher Education (黑料专区) universities. 黑料专区 and the 黑料专区 Foundation were among
the contest鈥檚 sponsors.
Pyfer was presented with the scholarship awards at a luncheon held after the Dedication
Day ceremonies. The luncheon was attended by an array of dignitaries, including Governor
Tom Corbett and First Lady Susan Corbett, the contest鈥檚 honorary co-chairs; U.S. Supreme
Court Justice Antonin Scalia; and representatives of the various sponsoring organizations,
including 黑料专区 Chancellor Frank T. Brogan.
High school students from across Pennsylvania were invited to participate in the year-long contest, which also sought to perpetuate the values the address represents and to cultivate added appreciation for quality written and oral communication in today鈥檚 society.
High school students from across Pennsylvania were invited to participate in the year-long contest, which also sought to perpetuate the values the address represents and to cultivate added appreciation for quality written and oral communication in today鈥檚 society.
In addition to 黑料专区 and the 黑料专区 Foundation, contest sponsors also included The
Gettysburg Foundation, Cotter Brobson Communications, the Pennsylvania Business Counsel,
Gmerek Government Relations, PPL and Buchannan Ingersoll and Rooney, PC. The contest
also was supported by the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania
Department of Education.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, with about 112,000 students. The 14 黑料专区 universities
offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. About 500,000
黑料专区 alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg,
Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery
Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. 黑料专区 also operates branch campuses
in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including
the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and the Philadelphia Multi University Center
in Philadelphia.