Ayn Rand Institute Press Release

$43,000 to Winners of "The Fountainhead" Essay Contest
August 8, 2008

IRVINE, CA--High school senior Ryan Holley, from Burlington, IA, is the winner of the Ayn Rand Institute's annual "Fountainhead" essay contest, for which he received a prize of $10,000.

Open to high school juniors and seniors, the "Fountainhead" essay contest requires contestants to write on one of several topics dealing with the characters and themes in the novel. The contest is designed to promote critical thinking and writing skills. Essays are judged on both style and content.

The following students have won this year's second and third prizes:
 
Second-Prize Winners ($2,000):

Shea Levy, 12th Grade, New York, NY
Kristen Liu, 12th Grade, Warrensburg, MO
Sarah Magill, 12th Grade, Aravada, CO
Matthew Noakes, 11th Grade, Modesto, CA
Stasey Vishnevetsky, 12th Grade, New Haven, CT
 
Third-Prize Winners ($1,000):
 
Michael Bruner, 12th Grade, Ames, IA
Nathan Doan, 12th Grade, Elizabethtown, PA
Michael Harris, 11th Grade, Burbank, CA
Yameen Huq, 12th Grade, Cumming, GA
Jessica Hwang, 11th Grade, Columbia, MO
David Kurz, 12th Grade, Smithsburg, MD
Jade Lawrence, 12th Grade, Fallbrook, CA
Molly Ma, 11th Grade, Richmond, VA
Madeline Magnuson, 11th Grade, Idaho Falls, ID
Raphael Pond, 12th Grade, Westminster, MD

In addition to the $30,000 awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, other finalists and semifinalists received a total of $13,000.

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First published in 1943, "The Fountainhead" offers the vision of a totally independent man, architect Howard Roark, who stands against society's conventions.

Since 1985 a total of more than 190,000 high school students from around the world have entered ARI essay contests. This year, more than 5,000 students submitted their essays on "The Fountainhead."

Each year ARI awards more than $57,000 in prizes to high school students and has given away more than a half a million dollars to contest winners during the past 23 years.

Information about next year's competition can be found at http://aynrand.org/contests.

Media inquiries: media@aynrand.org
949-222-6550, ext 213

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