Student Awards & Publications
Student Awards & Publications
With the level of competitiveness for top college admissions, more and more students are rounding out their college applications with writing awards. However, the benefits (in my opinion) go far beyond college applications. Writing academic research papers on complex John Locke topics teaches students how to conduct deep, meaningful research that requires cross-discipline connections and analysis. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards allows students to submit their best work in over a dozen categories. The New York Times holds students contests year-round.
Another significant benefit in entering writing competitions or submitting their work to publications is that my students learn to take a writing project from conception to polished draft. They become experts in the "long game," learning the endurance and attention to detail it takes to produce a piece that catches a judge's eye.
In addition, these are opportunities for students to try different modes or writing and to express their different dimensions as growing people. Critical essays allow them to develop logical argumentation and persuasion. Personal essays require they reflect on their experiences and find meaning in both their failures and successes. Fiction and poetry nurture a student's creativity "muscles." While all modes are equally valid, I encourage students to try different types of writing.
What I truly believe writing gives students, even those who want to be mathematicians, is the chance to reflect on who they are and the identity they are forming through their beliefs and choices. It's an amazing process to watch. I love working on projects with students, and we come to realize the real rewards are lifelong skills and self-confidence.
Past and current students have achieved some of the following awards:
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards: Honorable Mentions in fiction, personal essays, critical essays, poetry
Silver Keys, Regional: Critical essays, personal essays, poetry, short stories
Gold Keys, Regional: Personal essays, poetry
Gold Keys, National: Poetry
John Locke essay contest: Honorable mentions and high honors; invitations to London Conference and summer programs
New York Times: Honorable mention
Publications: Poetry and Personal Essay accepted by Teach. Write. Literary Journal (Spring 2025)
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation's longest-running, most prestigious educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts. The program has an impressive legacy of being the first to acknowledge creative talent and is today's largest source of scholarships for creative teens.
The John Locke Institute
The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.