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2005 Anthem Essay Contest

First Place

Julie Schwartzwald, Grossmont High School, El Cajon, CA
[Read Essay]

Second Place

Adam Baugher, Odyssey Academy, Rochester, NY
Bennett Bradley, Rowan County Senior HS, Morehead, KY
Jennifer Hall, Santiago High School, Corona, CA
Benjamin Leibowicz, John L. Miller Great Neck HS, Great Neck, NY
Jonathan Samuelson, Tarpon Springs HS, Tarpon Springs, FL

Third Place

Anna Besyakova, Clear Lake High School, TX
Meredyth Bowden, Easley High School, Easley, SC
Brent Ellis, Terre Haute South Vigo HS, Terre Haute, IN
Elizabeth Faiella, Home Schooled, Northwood, NH
Jasmine Hwang, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA
Kimberly Li, Plainsboro, NJ
Zahra Qureshi, Clarkson Secondary School, Mississauga, ON, Canada
Isabel Salovaara, Whitney M. Young High School, Chicago, IL
Ebony V. A. Wilson, College of Early Learning, Columbia, SC
Gary Zhang, Columbus Academy, Dublin, Ohio

Finalist

Whitney Bingham, Spring Grove Public School, Spring Grove, MN 
Katie Blundell, North Warren Regional HS, Blairtown, NJ 
Benjamin Bregman, Millburn High School, Short Hills, NJ
Meng Chen, Klein High School, Spring, TX 
Tabitha Champeau, Clarkstown Senior High School, New City, NY 
Serafine Chen, The Harker School, Cupertino, CA 
Marilyn Chiu, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA 
Luke Christensen, Grayson High School, Grayson, GA
Bianca Copello, Brookwood High School, Lilburn, GA
Tom Corsus, Ravenscroft School, Raleigh, NC 
Julianne Dome, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA 
Sophia Ebel, Riverside High School, Durham, NC
Sasha Englemann, Pacific Palisades Charter HS, Pacific Palisades, CA 
Alta Fang, La Jolla High School, San Diego, CA
Zeke Flom, McClintock High School, AZ
Claire Foster, Ladywood High School, Livonia, MI 
Carmen Garcia, Rancho Buena Vista High School, Vista, CA
Amanda Gault, Clonlara, Commerce, Twp, MI
Brooke Grasberger, Salem High School, Salem, MA
Katie Greene, Dulaney High School, Lutherville, MD
Ellington Griffin, Grand Junction High, Grand Junction, CO
Ryan Fitzgerald, Faith Christian School, Burlington, WI
Michelle Haffner, Cottonwood, CA 
Daniel Hall, Easley High School, Easley, SC 
Kay Halverson, homeschooled, Suffolk, VA
Daniel Hollingshead, The Altamont School, Birmingham, AL
Michael Hu, Dulaney High School, Timonium, MD
Scott Huang, John L. Miller Great Neck North HS, Great Neck, NY 
Anna Kellund, Los Alamos, NM
Sarah Mallough, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA 
Ben Mehling, Chattahoochee High School, Alpharetta, GA
Stephanie Moon, Sunny Hills High School, Fullerton, CA
Edward Novara, Lake Shore High School, Angola, NY 
Nicole Olson, Anoka High School, Andover, MN 
Tony Poor, Bay High School, Panama City, FL
Brice Randolph Eidson, Brookwood High School, Lilburn, GA
Alyssa Ruege, Charles M. Russell High School, Great Falls, MT 
Colton Rupp, Olympus High School, Salt Lake City, UT 
Michael SahiMI Irvine High School, Irvine, CA 
Natalie Spencer, Saratoga High School, Saratoga, CA
Emily Storms, VanDamme Academy, Laguna Hills, CA
Angela Torney, Los Alamos High School, Jemez Springs, NM
Kathryn Tucker, Yucca Valley HS, Yucca Valley, CA 
Hannah Whitman Frankel, Brookwood HS, Snellville, GA
Ray Xiong, White Station High School, Cordova, TN 

Semi-Finalists

Michelle Addington, H.M. Jackson High School, Bothell, WA
Sarah Adlis, Clear Lake High School, Seabrook, TX
Jordan Amspacher, Birdville High School, N. Richland Hills, TX
Wesley Andrews,  Richmond, VA
Steven Asquith, South-Doyle High School, Knoxville, TN
Brendan Ayer, Mariemont HS Cincinnati, OH
Patricia Bacalao, Cypress Falls, Houston, TX
Jeffrey Baer,  Thornhill, ON
CanadaCharlotte Ballard, Cinco Ranch High School, Katy, TX
Mary Baysinger, Owasso High School, Owasso, OK
Byron Berstein, Birmingham High School, CA
Meredith Bird, Adirondack Central HS, West Leyden, NY
Jody Blaylock,  Jacksonville, FL
Hank Blume, Richland Northeast High School, Columbia, SC
Thomas Boyd, Cinco Ranch Katy, TX
Michelle Brault, Massena High School, Massena, NY
Eric Brentlinger, Jeffersontown High School, Louisville, KY
Tessa Brow, Abraham Lincoln High School, Council Bluffs, IA
Emerson Brown, Valdosta High School, Valdosta, GA
Megan N. Brown, Richland Northeast HS, Columbia, SC
Katie Browning, Skyline High School, Idaho Falls, ID
Maria Brundage, Dexter High School, Dexter, MI
Sean Buckley, Sickles High School, Tampa, FL
Brianna Cahill, Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA
Ashley Callanan, Seminole High School, Chuluota, FL
Josh Carpenter, Riverside High School, Rougemont, NC
Aleena Cherian, Clarkstown High School, North New City, NY
Lillian Chou, Alpharetta High School, Alpharetta, GA
Marion Coe, Beloit Memorial High School, Clinton, WI
Mark Cowan, Henry Ford II, Sterling Heights, MI
Alyssa Cross,  Meyersdale, PA
Andrew Crymes, North Pulaski High School, Jacksonville, AR
Chris Dahl, Jeffersontown High School, Louisville, KY
Ashlie Daubert, Hanover Area HS, Honover Twp., PA
Maren Davis, VanDamme Academy, Laguna Hills, CA
Emma Davis, Lewisville High School, Norh Lewisville, TX
Sarah Davis, Northshore High School, Slidell, LA
Ishita Desai, Rancho Buena Vista High School, Vista, CA
Matthew Dollet-Hemphill, VanDamme Academy, Laugna Hills, CA
Joseph Dombrosky, Winston Churchill High School
Kate Donovan, Mariemont HS, Cincinnati, OH
Caitlin Driscoll, North Salem High School, Somers, NY
Sarah Dubea, West Felencia High School, St. Francisville, LA
Matthew Dyck, Salisbury Composite HS, Sherwood Park, AB
Erin Elbel, Bitburg American High School, APO, AE
Marci Elpers, Dobyns-Bennett High School, Kingsport, TN
Martin Ertlschweiger, Valdosta High School, Valdosta, GA
Doyle Evins, Douglas High School, Douglas, WY
Megan Exton, Victor Central School, Victor, NY
Lori Felske, Whitehall-Yearling High School, Whitehall, OH
Rachel Ferrell, Irvine HS, Irvine, CA
Alex Fialho, Juniperro Serra High School, San Diego, CA
Amanda Fincher,  Monroe, NC
Andrew Fish, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Fairfield, CT
Preston Folkman, Fremont High School, Warren, UT
Aubrie Forsyth,  Los Alamos, NM
Kurt Fraivillig, Clear Lake High School, Seabrook, TX
Carolyn Freney, Rockville High School, Vernon, CT
Rebecca Furdek, Clintonville High School, Clintonville, WI
Alicia Garza, Cinco Ranch High School, Katy, TX
Theresa Geiger, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Algonquin, IL
Jessica Gillespie, Urbana High School, Frederick, MD
Christian Gomez, Bronx Leadership Academy High School, Bronx, NY
Alexander Gororits, Alpharetta High School, Alpharetta, GA
Jonathan Gould, Parry McCluer High School, Buena Vista, VA
Michael Gould, John L. Miller Great Neck North HS, Great Neck, NY
Alia Grafenstein, Baldwin Woodville High School, Wilson, WI
Julian S. Green, Richland Northeast High School, Columbia, SC
Johara Hall, Rabat American School
Lisa Hall, McPherson High School, McPherson, KS
Michael Hardcastle, F.W. Springstead HS, Spring Hill, FL
Sasha Harden, McPherson High School, McPherson, KS
Ronald Hatt, Freedom Area High School, New Brighton, PA
Stuart Hedgpeth, Riverside High School, Durham, NC
Laura Huaman, Wilde Lake High School, Columbia, MD
Annette Hyla, Mesquite HS Gilbert, AZ
Joanna Johnson, Hartford High School, Wilder, VT
Lindsay Johnson, Helena High School, Helena, MT
Remi Kanji, Old Strathcona Academic HS, Edmonton, AB
CanadaAlex Kent, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL
Aliya Khan, South Vermillion High School, Clinton, IN
Max King, Broughton High School Gary, NC
Stefan Kling, Douglas Southall Freeman HS, Richmond, VA
Andrei Kopelevich, Pacific Palisades Charter HS, Pacific Palisades, CA
Emily Kuckuk, Yuma High School, Yuma, AZ
Prateek Kumar, Phillips Andover Academy, Latham, NY
Tricia Labud,  Umatilla, FL
Samantha Lake, Easley High School, Easley, SC
Lindsey Leger, Lewisville High School, Norh Lewisville, TX
Malia Lehrer, Cheyenne Mountain HS, Colorado Springs, CO
Lisa Livingston, Clinton Community, High School Clinton, IL
Geoffrey Loss, VanDamme Academy, Laguna Beach, CA
Allison Lott, Cinco Ranch High, School Katy, TX
Angela Luo, Sandwich Secondary School Windsor, ON
CanadaShotaro Makisumi, Polytechnic School Arcadia, CA
Leila Manshadi, VanDamme Academy, Laguna Hills, CA
James Marshall, Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA
Melissa McDaniel, Coram Deo Academy, Flower Mound, TX
Samantha McGhee, Wilmont Union High School, Trevor, WI
Shannon Meyer, Andrew Jackson HS, Chalmette, LA
Marina Mityul,  Jacksonville, FL
John Monopoli, Crown Point High School, Crown Point, IN
Contessa Monroe, D.M. Therrell High School, Atlanta, GA
Rebekah Morris, Milton High School, Alpharetta, GA
Janna Morton, Carver Center for Arts and Technology, Baltimore, MD
Robert Mowlavi, Lewisville High School, Norh Lewisville, TX
Stephen Muse, Ludlow High School, Ludlow, MA
Paru Nataraj, Rowan County Senior HS, Morehead, KY
Megan Nolan, Wayland-Cohocton Central School, Springwater, NY
Samantha Olander, North Olmsted HS, North Olmsted, OH
Simona Patange, Westview High School, Portland, OR
Christine Pearl, Lake Shore Senior High School, Angola, NY
CeJay Peterson, Douglas MacArthur HS, San Antonio, TX
Grant Piccerillo, Linganore High School, New Market, MD
Jessica Piness, Winners' Circle Homeschool Summerville, SC
Sara Plaster, Smoky Mountain HS, Dillsboro, NC
Ashley Pollock, Chattahoochee High School, Alpharetta, GA
Ellen Pullekines, Butler Intermediate High School, Butler, PA
Melissa Rayford, Richmond, VA
Vicky Ren, Cypress Falls HS, Houston, TX
Kevin Riegle, Victor Central School, Victor, NY
Maria Rivera, Yuma High School, Yuma, AZ
Christopher Rorke, Christian Brothers Academy, Toms River, NJ
Jacob Ross, Riverside High School, Durham, NC
Eve Rotman, John L. Miller Great Neck North HS, Great Neck, NY
Alison Rudy, Archbishop Alter High School, Centerville, OH
Andrea Ruybal, South High School, Pueblo, CO
Calli Ryan,  Richmond, VA
Sarah Sampietro, Nacogdoches HS, Nacogdoches, TX
Kay Ann Schlang, South Lyon High School, New Hudson, MI
Charlie Schumacher, VanDamme Academy, Laguna Hills, CA
Rachel Scoles, Oviedo High School, Geneva, FL
Vina Seelam, Mesquite High School, Gilbert, AZ
Audrey Sellers, Havre de Grace HS, Havre de Grace, MD
Ryan Shea, Secaucus High School, Secaucus, NJ
Nomi Sherwin, Seminole High School, Longwood, FL
Veronica Shi,  Chandler, AZ
Olivia Simon, VanDamme Academy, Laguna Hills, CA
Ali Sims, Melbourne Hgh School, Melbourne, FL
Erin Siracusa, Wayland-Cohocton Central School, Springwater, NY
Maria Noel Siriano, Hilliard Darby High School, Hilliard, OH
Travis Skavlan, Lassiter HS, Marietta, GA
Asher Smith, John L. Miller Great Neck North HS, Great Neck, NY
Julia Smith, Mariemont HS, Cincinnati, OH
Alice Song, Chattahoochee High School, Alpharetta, GA
Courtney Souza, Lewisville High School, Norh Lewisville, TX
Alina Stanton, Lassiter High School, Marietta, GA
Laura Stroud, Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville, NC
Jamesan Stuckey, Griffin High School, Fayetteville, GA
Laura Suddes, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL
Jennifer Sun, Polytechnic School, Pasadena, CA
Bradon Swed, John L. Miller Great Neck North HS, Great Neck, NY
Kemper Talley, Easley High School, Easley, SC
Joyce Truong, Reseda High School, Chatsworth, CA
Lisa Truong, Grand Junction HS, Grand Junction, CO
Damjana Ugarkovic, Alpharetta High School, Alpharetta, GA
Nora Updegrove, Marblehead High School, Marblehead, MA
Eva Uribe,  Los Alamos, NM
Eric VanLieshout, Dulaney High School, Phoenix, MD
Stephanie Velasco, Dobyns-Bennett HS, Kingsport, TN
Zach Vena,  Berlin, PA
Dan Vinegrad, Millburn High School, Short Hills, NJ
Mike Vonderau, North Olmsted HS North, Olmsted, OH
Allison Walsh, Palm Desert High School, La Quinta, CA
Nicole Wan, Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, CA
Rebecca Ward, North Boone High School, Caledonia, IL
Lindsey Webb, Birdville High School, Richland Hills, TX
Kris Wellman, Churchill High School, Livonia, MI
Christine Whalen, VanDamme Academy,  Laguna Hills, CA
Caree Wheeler, Dobson High School, Chandler, AZ
Danielle Yaros, Hanover Area Jr./Sr. HS,  Wilkes-Barre, PA
Esther Yi, Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood, NJ
Brad Young, Cheyenne Mountain HS, Colorado Springs, CO
Allen Zhang, Montgomery Blair High School, Potomac, MD
Andrew Zheng, Starr's Mill High School, Peachtree City, GA