Gotha Middle School student Tianhoa “Tony” Wu placed second nationally in the Modern Woodmen of America (MWA) Speech Contest. The topic for the speech contest was “If I Were President”. Tony, who was in the eighth grade at the time, titled his speech “The Founding Father’s Dream.” Tony will receive a prize of $1,500 when he turns 18 years old.
This is the second year in a row an Orange County student has placed second in this national contest. OCPS began competing in this contest in 1983. Over the years, the district has had seven first-place winners, six second-place winners, three third-place winners, and eight honorable mentions at the national level. MWA is also a committed Partner in Education with the school district and has donated more than $200,000.