Results of HSLDA's Third Annual Essay Contest

In its third year, the Home School Legal Defense Association Essay Contest drew applicants from several countries, including Mexico and New Zealand. Four hundred students sent in essays this year, and the eight judges were faced with the difficult task of choosing only six in each category.

"This year's essays were superb," said HSLDA President Mike Smith, "Homeschoolers continue to prove their writing abilities," he added.

"It was challenging to judge the essays because many of the ideas were original. The students wrote about things that I hadn't even thought about before reading the essays, and some of them even persuaded me to change my views on some issues," said one judge, a homeschool graduate herself.

This was the first year that the Essay Contest was open to non-HSLDA members. Six prizes were offered in each category, ranging from $400 to $25. The six winners in each age group are listed below.

In Category I, students from 12 to 15 wrote on the topic, "What one human invention do you believe has had the most significant impact on the present and why?" First place in this category goes to Jennie Guthrie for her essay on how the computer has changed the world for the better. In second place is Amanda McCrina, who described the impact of the camera.

For Category II, students from 16 to 18 had to discuss, "If you could speak to a political or cultural leader who lived from about 1750 to 1800, who would it be, why would you choose him or her, and what would you discuss?" The first place prize goes to Rachael Thomas from Texas, who imagined a conversation with her ancestor, John Adams. Second place was awarded to Faith Alessio from Michigan, who wrote about Jonathan Edwards, minister and president of Princeton University.

The most popular topics in Category I were the printing press (67) and the computer (32), while students in Category II wanted to talk to George Washington (14), Thomas Jefferson (9), and Benjamin Franklin (8). Click here for a complete list of topics students chose to address.

The proceeds from the contest will be given to the Home School Foundation Special Needs Fund.

Read the winning essays below: (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Finalists:
Category 1 1.   Jennie Lynne Guthrie (MO) 2.   Amanda Louise McCrina (GA) 3.   Leah Jordan Bigl (NY) 4.   Cole Tanner Adema (SD) 5.   Janelle Rose Beiler (AL) 6.   Megan J. Tinsley (KS)		Category 2 1.   Rachael Lynn Thomas (TX) 2.   Faith Marie Alessio (MI) 3.   Casey Lynette Morrow (MO) 4.   Noelle Annette Blankenship (VA) 5.   Grace Ann Lichlyter (AL) 6.   Kristen Joy Miller (OH)
Semifinalists:
Category 1 David Nathaniel Clay Kendra Lynn Kilmer Allana Katherine Hooker Corina Janine Segar Isaac B. Meadows Olivia Lauren Wolcott Robert Christopher Dixon Alma Gabriela De Jesus Lydia Claire Irion Brittany Victoria Smith Rena Katz Ryan Paul Zacher Amy Lynn Simon Cathrin (Cati) Ellen Gerwitz Kathryn Elise Ormsbee Rosalie Catherine Jonker Simon Lane Rostron Amber Sue Gray Bethany D. Sanderson Chad Patrick Stembridge Theresa Jean Moss		Category 2 Laura Megan Snipes Emily Renee Marsh Hannah Marie Braun Nathaniel Nicholas Boyd Anastasia Anstine Ealey Caleb Alexander Harlin Ashley Elizabeth Bricks Audrey Engel Neil Andrew Blake Nika Puffe Stephanie Wilkosz Annalee Duncan Rachel Ann LeFlore Ashley Dawn Haymond Rachel Lynn Ashbaugh
Topics:
Category 1 Agriculture Air Conditioner Airplanes Alphabet Anesthetics Antibiotics Assembly Line Atomic Bomb Automobile Band-Aid Boats and Ships Broom Camera Cell phone Clock Communications Satellite Technology Compact Disc Computer Constitution Contraceptives and Abortion Democracy Digital photography Edge Electric generator Electricity Engine Evolution Firearms Flight Freedom God Gun History Books Internet Kite Laser Lever Light bulb Mathematics Microscope Modern Day Medicine Motion Picture Music News media Nuclear Power Paper Pen Pencil Penicillin Phonograph Photography Plastic Plow Plumbing Printing Press Robotic Arm Roman Cross Salvation Satellite Schools Sin Social Gospel Space Shuttles Steam Engine Telegraph Telephone Television Time machine Tractors Transistors Ultrasound Vaccine War Wheels Writing		Category 2 Aaron Burr Abigail Adams Adam Smith Alexander Hamilton Andrew Jackson Andrew Pickens Beethoven Benjamin Banneker Benjamin Franklin Catherine the Great Edmund Burke Eliza Lucas Francis Marion George Rogers Clark George Washington Gouvernur Morris Harriet Tubman Henry Clay Henry Knox James Madison Jean Jacques Rousseau John Adams John Chapman John Deere John Dickinson John Jay John Marshall John Muhlenberg John Witherspoon Jonathan Edwards "King George, III" King Kamehameha I Maria Teresa Marquis de Lafayette Mercy Otis Warren Meriwether Lewis Michael Faraday Mozart Napoleon Noah Webster Patrick Henry Paul Revere Phillis Wheatley Richard Henry Lee Robert Yates Robespierre Samuel Adams Sir William Blackstone Thomas Gage Thomas Jefferson Thomas Paine Voltaire William Carey William Wilberforce