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• Monday, March 10, 2025

  Katherine Mazaroski Is 2025 State Oratorical Champ

  

  FROM LEFT: National Vice Commander Charles Robins, Bradley Chen, Yasmin Issa, Lucas Christopher, Department Champion Katherine Mazaroski, Nicholas Thomas, and Department Commander Keith Koster.

  ALBANY — Katherine Mazaroski, a Junior at Sacred Heart Academy in Nassau County, New York, is The American Legion New York State Oratorical Champion for 2025, Oratorical Chairman Anthony Paternostro announced.

  This year’s contest was conducted on March 8 at the Crown Plaza-Desmond Hotel, Albany.

  

  Katherine Mazaroski

  As this year’s champion, Katherine Mazaroski wins a $6,000 scholarship. She competed against four other finalists from a cross section of the state in the 88th Annual American Legion High School Scholarship Program – “A Constitutional Speech Contest” — for the Department of New York. She was sponsored by the Carle Place Post 1718, Nassau County, 10th District, and Zone 2.

  Other contestants were:

  • Bradley Chen (Kings County, 2nd District, Zone 1), sponsored by Lt. B.R. Kimlau Post 1291, who won a $4,000 scholarship.

  • Lucas Christopher (Monroe County, 7th District, Zone 5), sponsored by Cottreall-Warner Post 942, who won a $2,500 scholarship.

  • Yasmine Issa (Schoharie County, 3rd District, Zone 3), sponsored by Sharon Springs Post 1269, and Nicholas Thomas (Herkimer County, 6th District, Zone 4), sponsored by Hugick-Purcell-Shephard Post 616, both winning a $2,000 scholarship each.