christ is alive national essay contest

Sacred Heart Parish

Catholic church - glyndon, md, 2nd annual "christ is alive" essay contest.

National Essay Contest Winner Saw ‘Firsthand’ the ‘Great Riches’ of Faithful Catholic Education

While many students go off to college and lose their faith and joy, one college-bound student saw how his older siblings’ faith was strengthened and lives were enriched by attending a faithful Catholic college—and now he, too, will be attending a faithful college with a $5,000 scholarship.

Jacob Kristine, a homeschooled student from Pennsylvania, is the winner of The Cardinal Newman Society’s 2023 Essay Scholarship Contest . His $5,000 scholarship will be applied toward his first year at Christendom College in Front Royal, Va., and he is eligible for continuing scholarships from Christendom in subsequent years.

“My siblings have bestowed upon me the great riches of understanding what gifts a truly Catholic college can impart to a young person. I have seen firsthand how this pursuit of Truth leads to a life that is Good and wholesome and sincerely promotes seeking the Creator of Beauty,” explained Kristine in his award-winning essay, which can be read in its entirety here .

“The friendships my siblings forged throughout their four years among like-minded followers of Christ have challenged them to grow in wisdom, remain faithful to God through worship and devotional practices, and encouraged virtuous living without sacrificing fun, laughter, and an abundantly joy-filled life—then and now,” Kristine continued.

The topic for this year’s contest was to reflect on the following question: “The Cardinal Newman Society recently released a  7-minute video  on the advantages of choosing a faithful Catholic college. Pick a key point(s) or theme(s) from the video and explain why attending a Newman Guide college will have special value for you.” Essays were judged by how well they demonstrated appreciation for faithful Catholic education, as well as the quality of the writing.

The judges were thoroughly impressed with Kristine’s essay, which emphasized the academic, spiritual, and social life at faithful Catholic colleges. Kristine is the fifth of eight children in his family and has been homeschooled his entire life. Since third grade, he has served as an altar server at his Catholic parish and worked at the church cemetery as a groundskeeper. He has also enjoyed competing in sports, especially cross country and track and field, which he hopes to continue next year at Christendom.

Kristine explained how The Newman Guide and The Cardinal Newman Society’s “Recruit Me” program proved helpful in his college search:

Without the Newman Guide, I am not so sure that my college search would have been as comprehensive and complete as it turned out. The “Recruit Me” program was a fantastic blessing, as it allowed so many colleges to reach out to me and provide information that I could digest and review. I would then turn to the Newman Guide to further enlighten me about the most vital and important aspects of a truly Catholic college education. With your fantastic resources, I was able to confidently find a home for the next four years that would equip me to become the man of God that this world so desperately needs.

The annual contest is open to high school seniors in the United States who participate in the Newman Society’s  Recruit Me program  and use  The Newman Guide in their college search. The innovative Recruit Me program invites Newman Guide colleges to compete for students while providing information about faithful Catholic education. Rising high school seniors who wish to enter next year’s essay contest can sign up for Recruit Me online here .

Kristine’s $5,000 scholarship is made possible by the generosity of Joseph and Ann Guiffre, supporters of The Cardinal Newman Society and faithful Catholic education.

“We are grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Guiffre for enabling this scholarship,” said Newman Society President Patrick Reilly. “They understand the unique value of a truly Catholic education, and they are thrilled to help a student experience all that a Newman Guide-recommended college can provide.”

Each year’s winner of the contest also has the opportunity to receive an additional $15,000 from participating colleges over the course of their college education. Sixteen of the Newman Guide colleges, including Christendom College, have agreed to  supplement the Newman Society’s scholarship  with additional $5,000 grants over three additional years, under certain conditions including full-time enrollment and academic progress.

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Announcing TGC’s 2024 Essay Contest for Young Adults

Writers aged 16–22 can get published and win $500.

More By Staff

The Gospel Coalition announces its 2024 essay contest, inviting young adults (ages 16–22) to explore and write about God’s faithfulness, their relationship with technology, and their heart for full-time ministry in our secular age.

Winning authors will receive a prize, and their essays will be published on TGC’s website. In addition, every writer who submits an essay will receive a coupon code for $50 off the Gen-Z registration for our TGC25 conference .

Essay Requirements

Each 800–1,000 word essay must be original, previously unpublished, and must respond to one of the following three prompts. With each of these prompts, contestants should draw from their own experiences and convictions, and use Scripture to support their conclusions. (Want examples? Read the winning essays from 2022 and 2023 .) Contestants must give permission to TGC to publish their work, and each essay will be judged by TGC’s editorial team.

Submissions will be accepted from June 1 to July 1 and winners will be announced on September 2, 2024.

1. When did the Lord love you by not giving you what you wanted?

Many of us have unfulfilled desires. When was a time you saw the Lord’s love and kindness when he withheld something from you? What was it that you wanted and how did you see the Lord’s faithfulness through not giving it to you? Tell us what you learned from your experience, especially considering that our culture tells us we deserve to have all our desires fulfilled.

2. How has the gospel changed your relationship with your phone?

Today, phones are considered a necessity rather than a luxury. How does the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ change how you view your phone and how you use it? How has your phone been a hindrance and how has it been an asset to your relationship with the Lord? Tell us what you’ve learned in navigating how to use your phone for the glory of God.

3. Why are you considering full-time ministry?

There’s a greater need than ever for young people to pursue full-time ministry. Why are you considering making ministry your vocation? Tell us your heart behind it, why you think it’s important, and what influences in your life have led you to move forward in this direction.

The contest winner will receive $500; second place will receive a $100 gift card to the TGC bookstore; third place will receive an assortment of books. The winning essays will be published on TGC’s website, as will any other essays the judges select.

Read the full contest rules and upload your essay. Questions? Contact [email protected] .

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National Shrine Drawing Contest Winner

ST. PHOTIOS NATIONAL SHRINE ANNOUNCES THE RESULTS OF THE 4TH ANNUAL DRAWING CONTEST

St. Augustine, FL: The Trustees of the St. Photios Foundation, Inc. proudly share the results of the Fourth Annual Drawing Contest of St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine.  Held in conjunction with the annual commemoration of the Fall of Constantinople, students, ages 9-12 of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, are encouraged to learn about the Fall of Constantinople and to express what was learned, through art.

This year, the children were challenged to learn about the Deesis Icon, one of Christendom’s most treasured frescoes located in the upper south gallery of Hagia Sophia.  This icon was concealed for centuries after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.  The Virgin Mary and John the Baptist turn to Christ, the Son of God .  The figures are two and a half times larger than life.  As the south gallery was traditionally used for imperial use, it is believed that after a very tumultuous time in the Queen City, the icon was commissioned in 1261 by Emperor Michael VIII Paleologos when he reclaimed the Byzantine capital after the Latin period.

The three judges commented: “The drawings are very impressive. It was a difficult decision!” (Prof. Theodora Sergiou), “This was a hard one! Everyone did great work. The expressions depicted on the faces! Fabulous! Each submission is successful, demonstrating the artist’s ambition. I see attention to detail, creating marks to suggest texture and use of color to suggest reflected light.” (Prof. Laura Mongiovi), and “the children did an amazing job on their artwork, to me they are all number ones” (Carol Pappas).

Digital prints of the 8 x 10 originals will be exhibited in the St. Photios Museum special exhibit area through May 31, 2025.

The ranking of the twelve submissions by judges Carol Pappas, Laura Mongiovi, and Theodora Sergiou resulted in Irene Shizas winning the $250.00 prize.  Irene is a 12-year-old who attends St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Clifton, NJ.  Congratulations to Irene and to all the participants and their parents: Melody and Gerry Mastrokalos of Astoria, NY, Maria Gavras of Moorestown, NJ, Theodora Tsiplakos of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, Valentina Stabile of Cherry Hill, NJ, Sophia Miliotis of Astoria, NY, Haris Tsoplakis of Mullica Hill, NJ, Sofia Forcella of Tarpon Springs, FL, Sophia Bournelis of Canton, OH, Despoina Mandikou of Flushing, NY, and Sofia Danforth of Byron, GA.

The Trustees are grateful to William, Pamela, and Michael Toundas of Jacksonville, FL who have underwritten the entire cost of this project for the past four years.

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St. Photios National Shrine 2023 Essay Contest

Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory, looked to St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine to provide a means to honor the faith and culture of the Greek Orthodox immigrants of 1768 when articulating its mission “to witness the Orthodox faith, share the Hellenic culture and honor the memory of the Greek colonists of 1768.”

He acknowledged that in America, at the time, “immigrant families lose their ethnic identity by the second generation, as they meld into the social fabric of the United States.”

The 2023 Essay theme for the St. Photios National Shrine Essay Contest is: It is often difficult to maintain our ethnic, culture, and religious heritage in this multicultural environment, which is America. How important is this to you and your family? How do you, now, and in the future, manage to keep your religion and culture as alive and well?

Additional Details

• Open to all persons 13-19 of age
• Essay submissions deadline: January 5, 2024
• Emailed to [email protected]
• Minimum 950 words, Maximum 1,050 words
• Author’s name
• Date of birth
• U.S. mailing address
• Email Address
• Phone number
• Home parish name, city and state
• Winners will be chosen from the following categories: 13-15 year old participants, 16-19 year old participants
• All essays become property of St. Photios National Shrine and may be shared publicly
• Winners of each category will receive an award of $1000
• All will receive a Certificate of Participation from The Archbishop of America

Evaluation of Essays

Judges take into consideration the following:

• The essay is interesting and inspirational: focused and engaging
• Clarity of the essay introduction and whether or not the thesis presentation draws the reader into the essay
• Developed paragraphs with relevant points and examples
• Use of proper grammar and flow of ideas
• Artistic use of language
• Source documentation and bibliography

Judges Dianna Christakos, M. Ed. – High School English Teacher (retired)

The Honorable Eleni Elia, J.D. – Circuit Court Judge

Timothy Johnson, Ph. D. – History  Chair, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL

The St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is a living memorial to the first Greek settlers on the American and to all immigrants whose love of freedom and desire for a better life brought them to the New World.

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NIH Announces Winners of 2023-2024 High School Mental Health Essay Contest

May 31, 2024 • Institute Update

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pleased to announce the winners of the  2024 Speaking Up About Mental Health    essay contest. Out of more than 370 submissions across 33 states, NIH awarded 24 youth (ages 16-18) finalists with gold, silver, bronze, and honorable mention prizes.

Supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the  Eunice Kennedy Shriver  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the essay contest invited youth to address mental health and reduce mental health stigma that young people may face when seeking mental health treatment.

The winning essays addressed complicated topics such as stigma, trauma, resilience, equity, anxiety, and more. Teens also wrote about specific ideas for improving well-being, such as broader access to leisure sports, reducing time spent on social media, and normalizing mental health treatment and care.

NIH awarded a total of $15,000 in cash prizes to gold, silver, bronze, and honorable mention recipients. Read the winning essays at  nimhd.nih.gov/EssayContest   .

Gold winners

• Max, California - Tenacity Through Tumultuousness
• Michaela, Maryland - Exposing the Impact of Social Media on Teenage Mental Health: A Journey of Self-Discovery
• Raphael, Hawaii  - Let's CHAT: Mental Health Impact on Teens Living with Speech Challenges

Silver winners

• Aditi, California – Embracing Authenticity
• Anna, New York - Change Our Approach: How Sports Can Play a Role in Mental Health
• Ciniyah, Illinois - The Roots Affect the Fruit: A Personal Journey of Trauma to Triumph
• Kathleen, Maryland - Behind A Perfect Life
• Paige, Texas - Learn to Live and Accept Your Journey
• Rylie, Maryland - Drowning in Plain Sight

Bronze winners

• Argiro, Pennsylvania - Out in the Open: A Conversation about Mental Health
• Dresden, Maryland - Normalize the Care to Destigmatize the Conditions
• Gabriel, New Jersey - Keeping My Head Up: My Experience with Dad's Brain Cancer
• Hailey, Arkansas - Access for Adolescent Athletes
• Jordan, New Jersey - A Weighted Wait
• Kathryne, North Carolina - Embracing Openness: Unveiling Silent Struggles Surrounding Mental Health
• Maya, Maryland - Speaking up for Change
• Rachel, California - Embracing the Journey Towards Mental Health Acceptance
• Savannah, New Jersey - Taking a Step Today, for a Better Tomorrow

Honorable mentions

• Agaana, Maryland – Accountability for Authority: The Responsibilities of Schools
• Gisele, Pennsylvania - Breaking the Silence
• Jillian, Illinois - Navigating Mental Illness in Teens
• Kyle, North Carolina - How the Neglect of Mental Health Within Black Communities Causes Underlying Issues
• Mason, Maryland - Social Media as a Possible Method to Reduce Mental Health Stigma
• Minsung, Georgia - Hope to Bridge the Gap

If you are in crisis and need immediate help, call or text the  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline     at  988  (para ayuda en español, llame al 988) to connect with a trained crisis counselor. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline using their preferred relay service or by dialing 711 and then 988.