HIGH SCHOOL ORATORICAL CONTEST
KEY DATES
APPLICATION SUBMITTAL BY CANDIDATES
January 10, 2027
COLORADO STATE CONTEST
February 6, 2027 • 9AM Start Time
Golden View Classical Academy, Golden CO
NATIONAL FINALS
The 2027 National Finals will be in Hillsdale, Michigan at Hillsdale College, dates to be determined. For more information on the National finals please click here.
CERTIFICATION
Certification will be conducted at your local sponsoring American Legion post and will consist of delivering your Prepared Oration and one of the Assigned Topics. In addition to providing a coaching opportunity, the certification process guarantees that your material is of a competitive nature. Local posts will be responsible for scheduling these certification sessions. Certification forms will be completed and submitted to the state chairs.
LEGION POSTS – CERTIFICATION FORM
New Form and Information to complete forthcoming.
HOW TO ENTER / FORMS
Click on APPLICATION to open a fillable pdf application. Students should submit this application by January 10, 2027 via email to: colegionoratorical@gmail.com
Please click PHOTO RELEASE to open a fillable pdf form.
You may also contact the Colorado chair listed below for assistance.
Tina Kyprios, Chair
gregorr@aol.com
970-819-6028
Please click here for further information about entering the contest.
NUMBER OF CONTESTANTS
The Colorado State Oratorical Contest will be limited to 20 contestants from applicants who submit by the January 10, 2027 deadline. If more than 20 applications are received, a notification will be made to Posts with multiple applications, and these Posts will be requested to prioritize their applicants during the Certification Process. We suggest that Posts hold their own Oratorical contest to determine their priorities. Alternatively, it may be necessary to hold one or more Regional contest(s) prior to the State Contest to limit the number of candidates attending the State Contest.
Juliet Hetzel of Colorado Springs won a $25,000 scholarship and will be studying law at Patrick Henry College.
Juliet Hetzel of Colorado Springs, Colo., won the 87th American Legion National Oratorical Contest, “A U.S. Constitutional Speech Contest” on Sunday. The recent high school graduate competed in the final round on the campus of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich., alongside second-place finisher Wendy Gluski of Scottsdale, Ariz., who earned a $22,500 scholarship, and third-place finisher Judah Donnelly of Clarks Summit, Pa., who earned a $20,000 scholarship.
“I’m just kind of in shock,” Hetzel said of her win. “I haven’t yet completely processed it, but I’m just so incredibly happy to be here.”
After hearing her name announced as the Legion’s oratorical champion and receiving her first-place plaque, Hetzel ran down the stage stairs inside Plaster Auditorium to embrace her mom.
“I feel very proud of her,” said Mary Beth Hetzel. “I just watched a lot of sacrifice over the years that you know you don’t see that when they’re on stage. But I’ve seen a lot of sacrifice and hard work to better prepare herself.”
Hetzel said she could see her mom’s excitement in the crowd when they called her name as the oratorical champion. She credits her mom and her faith in God for setting the stage of her success in The American Legion’s contest.
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