A Collierville High School senior has been named the county’s winner in a statewide competition aimed at teaching students about ratification of the 19th Amendment and Tennessee’s important role in helping women gain the right to vote.
On Tuesday, State Rep. Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville) announced a local winner of the Battle of the Ballot contest that asked students across Tennessee in grades K-12 to submit projects reflecting historical aspects and the issues related to the Women’s Suffrage movement.
Elementary students were asked to create banners with slogans or write a poem; middle schoolers created public service announcements and high school students wrote speeches or created a short documentary.
Prizes were awarded to the top three winners in four categories and included several TNStars 529 scholarships totaling $50,000 and Apple IPads.
Collierville High School senior Trissha Sivalingam was named the winner from Shelby County.
She presented a speech to her high school classmates and was awarded a $4,000 TNStars 529 scholarship. “I’m so proud of Trissha and her accomplishments,” said Vaughan. “I appreciate her passion for learning more about Women’s Suffrage and Tennessee’s leadership in advancing and strengthening democracy for our entire nation. Her ability to effectively communicate information to her peers through this women’s suffrage speech presentation will hopefully lead to a greater understanding of this momentous event in the history of our state and nation.”
Tuesday marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment and Tennessee’s role in granting women the right to vote.
Vaughan and members of the General Assembly in June passed legislation officially designating Aug. 18 the official day of observation commemorating the day Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.The statewide contest was sponsored by the Official Committee of the State of Tennessee Woman Suffrage Centennial, the Tennessee Department of Education, the Tennessee State Library and Archives, the Tennessee State Museum, the First Lady’s Office, and the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.
For resources and to learn more about the vital role Tennessee played in securing women’s right to vote, visit the official website for the State of Tennessee Woman Suffrage Centennial at tnwoman100.com.
