Portsmouth teen wins essay contest with message on American hope
Marjorie Leary, a junior at Portsmouth High School, won a Voice of Democracy audio essay competition with a piece called \”In Order to Form a More Perfect […]\” The essay tackles inequality, bigotry, and poverty head-on—problems she sees dividing the nation.
But Leary doesn’t dwell on what’s broken. Instead, she frames America’s challenges as reasons to fight harder for freedom and progress. Growing up in Little Compton shaped her perspective on what patriotism actually means.
The Voice of Democracy competition is a national contest that asks young people to record their thoughts on civic engagement and American values. Leary’s entry resonated enough to earn her the prize.
