Kentucky Student Takes Top Prize in National Think the Vote Contest

A recent high school graduate from Erlanger, KY, has been named the grand prize winner in the national Think the Vote contest.  

Emma Linkugel, who recently graduated from Saint Henry District High School in Erlanger, took top honors and the $1,000 grand prize for her participation on the Think the Vote website, which is used by students and in classrooms all across America. 

Think the Vote, run by the nonprofit Bill of Rights Institute, encourages students to research, think critically, discuss, and debate current events. Students learn to engage in civil discourse around hot-button contemporary issues such as voter rights, immigration, foreign aid, and more. The Think the Vote platform receives thousands of student submissions every year. 

Judges selected Linkugel as providing the top contribution of the year during a discussion on campaign finance. Linkugel wrote a compelling, well-researched argument that analyzed the history of campaign finance law, major court cases, and the implications of various reform proposals. 

“Through Think the Vote, students like Emma are demonstrating that we can discuss even the most difficult or polarizing issues with reason and civility, particularly online,” said Stan Swim, Chief Program Officer of the Bill of Rights Institute. “We are grateful for all of the students across America who participated in Think the Vote this school year. Together, these students are learning to think critically, listen to opposing viewpoints, and find their voices in civil society.” 

Linkugel has big plans for the future, and will attend Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, KY, in the fall, where she will major in biology with a pre-medicine track. She has also been accepted into the university’s prestigious James Graham Brown Scholars Program.