Garden City student wins national Frederick Douglass Oratorical Contest
Garden City’s Stratford School student Owen Galarza has been named a first-place winner in the annual National Park Service Frederick Douglass Oratorical Contest, held in November 2025. Competing in the ages 6–8 division, Owen earned this distinction for the second consecutive year, demonstrating his dedication and talent.
Participants in the contest deliver a prepared speech — memorized from a Frederick Douglass address — either virtually or in person before a judging panel, with the goal of experiencing the transformative power of Douglass’s words. Owen presented his speech in person at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., joining contestants from 10 states, the District of Columbia and Ontario, Canada. Preparing for the competition requires exceptional focus and commitment, as students must capture the spirit and intent of Douglass’s original words.
All winners are recognized on the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site website and will receive plaques and other awards to commemorate their achievement. All first-place winners were also offered the opportunity to showcase their award-winning speeches at the annual Frederick Douglass birthday event in Washington, D.C., in February 2026, or to present their speech at a special program at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in July 2026.
“Owen became involved in this event after learning about slavery. With the help of his mother, he showed great determination to win the competition. Having confidence from winning in the year prior, Owen was thrilled to learn that he had won and will return in July to present his speech,” said Stratford teacher Christine Mustacchio.
The district congratulations Owen on this incredible achievement.