Lehman Earns National Recognition in American Legion Oratorical Contest

Palmyra High School junior Tess Lehman stands on the campus of Hillsdale
College in Michigan, where she represented Missouri at the 87th American Legion
National Oratorical Contest May 15-17 and advanced to the national semifinals.

Palmyra High School junior Tess Lehman achieved national recognition at the 87th American Legion National Oratorical Contest held at Hillsdale College in Michigan, May 15th through 17th.

Lehman represented Missouri at the national competition, joining 53 participants from across the United States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and France. During the preliminary round on Saturday, Tess delivered a 10-minute prepared oration titled “The Power of Speech in a Democracy,” followed by a five-minute assigned constitutional speech focused on Article IV, Section 4 of the United States Constitution. Her performance earned her a spot among the top 18 semifinalists in the nation, advancing to the afternoon round.

In the semifinal competition, Lehman competed alongside students representing Colorado, Virginia, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Idaho. She again presented her prepared oration before delivering an assigned five-minute constitutional speech on Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution. The contestant from Colorado advanced from Lehman’s semifinal group and was ultimately awarded the national title on Sunday.

Tess was recognized during the awards ceremony on Sunday and received additional scholarship funds by competing at the national level. Her total scholarship earnings through the American Legion Oratorical Contest now total $9,400.

Tess’s journey began in November when she won the high school-level contest. From there, she advanced through—and won—the county, district, and zone competitions, earning her spot at the state finals for the second consecutive year. After winning the state title earlier this spring, she qualified to represent Missouri at the National Oratorical Contest and was sponsored by Boots Dickson Post 174 of Palmyra.

Palmyra High School Principal, Dr. Jared Pontius praised Tess for her remarkable public speaking talent and dedication throughout the competition process. “Tess has remarkable skill and talent for public speaking but to progress to the National level is quite remarkable. I am very proud of her and the hard work she has put into this accomplishment,” Pontius said.

He added the Palmyra R-1 School District is proud of the way Tess represented her school, community, and state of Missouri throughout this prestigious national competition.

Photos received from the Palmyra R-1 School District.