#WeTheStudents
We the Students Essay Contest
The Bill of Rights Institute will not be running a 2022-23 We the Students Essay Contest. We hope to resume the contest in a future year.
For the 2022-23 school year, we are encouraging students to participate in our MyImpact Challenge civic engagement contest. Find out more about this contest here.
2022 We the Students Winner
Grand Prize ($7500): Cynthia Huang
Orange County School of the Arts, Class of 2024
Santa Ana, California
Read Cynthia's winning essay HERE
Runners Up ($1500 Each)
- Hannah Slisher, Rush-Henrietta Senior High School, Henrietta, New York
- Ishan Chattopadhyay, Mountain View Middle School, Hampden Township, Pennsylvania
- Alexander Mahdavian, Ridge High School, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
- Margaret Piehl, Platte River Academy, Centennial, Colorado
- Miles Erdly-Liang, Hunter College High School, New York City, New York
Honorable Mentions ($500 Each)
- Lindsey Steel, Homestead High School, Sunnyvale, California
- Sophia Motl, Homeschooled, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Anton Akroush, Utica Academy for International Studies, Sterling Heights, Michigan
- Brayden Wilkins, Purnell Swett High School, Pembroke, North Carolina
- Sarah Bargfrede, Sparta High School, Sparta, New Jersey
- Devon Keesee, Turner Ashby High School, Bridgewater, Virginia
- Jack Aldrich, AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, Pennsylvania
- Samantha Christine, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Metuchen, New Jersey
- Emily Zhou, Shenendehowa High School, Clifton Park, New York
- Dimitrios Owen, Thomas Alva Edison High School, Alexandria, VA
For more information
2021 We the Students Winners
Grand Prize ($7500): Sarah Schleinkofer
Beverly Hills High School, Class of 2022
Beverly Hills, California
Read Sarah's winning essay HERE
Runners Up ($1500 Each)
- Elijah Roth, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
- Owen McConaghy, St. Joseph's Prep, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Caitlyn Beebe, Trivaio Academy (Home School), Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Jaleyna Lawes, Charles W. Flanagan High School, Pembroke Pines, Florida
- Ava Chaladpru, UT Tyler University Academy, Palestine, Texas
Honorable Mentions ($500 Each)
- Elizabeth Williams, De Pere High School, De Pere, Wisconsin
- Jacob Schroeder, Bishop Dwenger, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Prairie Kaya, Kingfisher High School, Kingfisher, Oklahoma
- Luke Rainey, Penns Manor High School, Clymer, Pennsylvania
- Domenica Weems, New Manchester High School, Douglasville, Georgia
- Abigail Christensen, Incarnate Word Academy, Houston, Texas
- Theint Lei, Temple City High School, Temple City, California
- Blake Chevalier, Shirleen Zacharias Early College Leadership Academy, Somerset, Texas
- Cathleen Kivett Smith, Ridgeview High School, Orange Park, Florida
- Rhea Wanchoo, Osbourn Park High School, Manassas, Virginia
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2020 We the Students Essay Contest!
2020 Essay Prompt: What does civil discourse mean to you?
Runner Ups
- Traci Kaninberg, Assumption High School, Louisville, Kentucky
- Maria Cheriyan, Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, Michigan
- Mika Poelma, Kadena High School, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa City, Japan
- Danielle Zhang, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, Missouri
- Marisa Gibbons, Science Hill High School, Johnson City, Tennessee
Honorable Mentions
- Ria Jain, International Leadership of Texas, Keller-Saginaw High School, Fort Worth, Texas
- Keshav Patel, Canton Preparatory High School, Canton, Michigan
- Grace Rose, Brunswick High School, Brunswick Maryland
- Martina Shelor, Bethlehem Catholic High School, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Christina Homer, Arcadia High School, Arcadia, California
- Rose Weathers, Harriton High School, Rosemont, Pennsylvania
- Iycis Smith, The Meadows School, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Natalie Krahulik, Penn Manor High School, Millersville, Pennsylvania
Details
- 1st Place: $7,500
- Runners Up: 5 prizes at $1,500 each
- Honorable Mentions: 10 prizes at $500 each