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2008 Anthem Essay Contest

First Place

Adam Perelman, The Harker School, San Jose, CA, USA
[Read Essay]

Second Place

Tristan Aumentado Armstrong, Foundations for the Future Charter Academy, Calgary, AB, Canada
Dinah DeWald, Arizona School for the Arts, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Emilie Finke, Lutheran South Academy, Houston, TX, USA
Will Heberlein, Pomona High School, Arvada, CO, USA
Margaret Johnson, Glynn Academy, Brunswick, GA, USA

Third Place

Jennifer Chan, Harvard-Westlake High School, North Hollywood, CA, USA
Jennifer Choi, Sunny Hills High School, Fullerton, CA, USA
Sarah Crestol, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA, USA
Richard Fang, I.H. Kempner High School, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Branden Lewiston, Indianola High School, Indianola, IN, USA
Angela Li, Cypress Falls High School, Houston, TX
Jared Peterson, Westlake High School, Austin, TX, USA
Nancy Roane, Paul W. Bryant High School, Cottondale, AL, USA
Michael Saulle, Harborfields High School, Greenlawn, NY, USA
Marija Zaruba, Sahuaro High School, Tuscon, AZ, USA

Finalists

Neil Bedi, West Windsor Plainsboro High School North, Plainsboro, NJ, USA
Maria Bee, Bethel-Tate High School, Bethel, OH, USA
Laura  Bitely, Preston High School, Kingwood, WV, USA
Julie Cheng, Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, MD, USA
Samidha Datta, Hilliard Darby High School, Hilliard, OH, USA
Summer Dowd-Lukesh, Claremont High School, Claremont, CA, USA
Phoebe Driscoll, Palisades High School, Pacific Palisades, CA, USA
Matt Elkins, East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick, NJ, USA
Andrew Frey, Bayside High School, Bayside, NY, USA
Reed Gerberick, Mariemont High School, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Soumya Ghosh, Libertyville High School, Libertyville, IL, USA
Kyla Gilbert-Heaney, MacDonald High School, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
Isabel Grayce, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA, USA
Kathryn Greene, Glynn Academy, Brunswick, GA, USA
Anagha, Hanumante, Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans, LA, USA
EJ Hardebeck, Timberline High School, Lacey, WA, USA
Lisa Hawkins, Timbercrest High School, Woodinville, WA, USA
Swathi Jayavel, Cooper High School, New Hope, MN, USA
Judy Kamali, John L. Miller, Great Neck North High School, Great Neck, NY, USA
Katherine Knox, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL, USA
Isaac Kolding, Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, AZ, USA
Marisa Kramer, Hellgate High School, Missoula, MT, USA
Elizabeth Laboda-Lyman, Mariemont High School, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Hetali Lodaya, Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Elizabeth Mealey, The Hartsbrook School, Hadley, MA, USA
Alex Melville, Woodstock Union High School, Woodstock, VT, USA
William Murphy, Kirksville Senior High School, Kirksville, MO, USA
Howard Nguyen, Patrick Henry High School, San Diego, CA, USA
Nikki Nguyen, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA, USA
Margaret Norbeck, Cedar Cliff High School, Camp Hill, PA, USA
Jatan Patel, Hamilton High School, Chandler, AZ, USA
Melina Peterson, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA,USA
Jenny Pham, Irvine High School,Irvine, CA, USA
Marlena Santos, Victor High School, Victor, NY, USA
Kendra Sokol, Dobyns-Bennett High School, Kingsport, TN, USA
Anne Solomon, Padua Academy, Wilmington, DE, USA
Matthew Stafford, South Lyon East High School, South Lyon, MI, USA
Danielle Stoner, Gananda Central School District, Macedon, NY, USA
Katie Sumner, Cannon School, Concord, NC, USA
Andrew Sweeney, Dexter High School, Dexter, MO, USA
Kimmy Tarde, Thunder Ridge High School, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
Morgan Thomas, Gulf Breeze High School, Gulf Breeze, FL, USA
Andy Tuck, Traverse City Christian School, Traverse City, MI, USA
Gino Warnick, Hanover Area Junior/Senior High School, Hanover Township, PA, USA
Amanda Wolkin, North Springs High School, Atlanta, GA, USA

Semi-Finalists

Joey Adams, Hicksville Exempted Village Schools, Hicksville, OH, USA
Yared Admasse, C. Douglas Killough Lewisville High School - North, Lewisville, TX, USA
Adisbelkis Alvarez, Southwest Miami High School, Miami, FL, USA
David, Amato, The Tome School, North East, MD, USA
Salonee Athavale, Muncie Central High School, Muncie, IN, USA
Khin-Kyemon Aung, Willoughby South High School, Willoughby, OH, USA
Pamela, Belitch, Port Charlotte High School, Port Charlotte, FL, USA
Laura Bello, Bow High School, Bow, NH, USA
Kyle Benzing, Lake Shore Senior High School, Angola, NY, USA
Stephanie Berci, Natomas Charter School, Sacramento, CA, USA
Marissa Bertulfo, Aiea High School, Aiea, HI, USA
Emily Biegas, Grosse Pointe North High School, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, USA
Cooper Bowen, Marble Falls High School, Marble Falls, TX, USA
Abby Brennan, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Chelsea Brennan, North Springs High School, Atlanta, GA, USA
Michael Buchanan, Homestead High School, Fort Wayne, IN, USA
Karen Burtt, Miramonte High School, Orinda, CA, USA
Theresa Campion, Elk Grove High School, Elk Grove, CA, USA
Trevor Casper, Skyline High School, Idaho Falls, ID, USA
Ellie Cawthon, West High School, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Melissa Chan, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA, USA
Christy Chao, University City High School, San Diego, CA, USA
Daniel Chen, University City High School, San Diego, CA, USA
Connor Ciepluch, North Springs High School, Atlanta, GA, USA
Kaleigh Clary, Cabot High School, Cabot, AR, USA
Emily Cline, Aberdeen High School, Aberdeen, MD, USA
Daniel Cohen, Alpharetta High School, Alpharetta, GA, USA
Omri Coke, Coral Springs High School, Coral Springs, FL, USA
Corie Colliton, Salisbury Christian School, Salisbury, MD, USA
Joel Cook, Easley High School, Easley, SC, USA
Will Cooper, Rockford High School, Rockford, MI, USA
Lizzie Coplin, Hicksville Exempted Village Schools, Hicksville, OH, USA
Matthew Corbett, Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, Peabody, MA, USA
Benjamin Cosman, La Jolla High School, La Jolla, CA, USA
Edith Cricen, Southwest Miami High School, Miami, FL, USA
Jordan Dahlen, Mesquite High School, Gilbert, AZ, USA
Mitra Darakhshandeh, Brighton High School, Brighton, MI, USA
Matthew Darby, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL, USA
Greg Daszkiewicz, East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick, NJ, USA
Krisha Desai, Alpharetta High School, Alpharetta, GA, USA
Jennifer Doering, University City High School, San Diego, CA, USA
David Dohan, White Station High School, Memphis, TN, USA
Donn Duncan, Easley High School, Easley, SC, USA
Monica Emrani, John L. Miller Great Neck North High School, Great Neck, NY, USA
Jessica Fessler, Victor High School, Victor, NY, USA
Rachel Fields, Winter Springs High School, Winter Springs, FL, USA
Allie Finch, Buena High School, Sierra Vista, AZ, USA
Theresa Folk, Cedar Cliff High School, Camp Hill, PA, USA
Michael Friedlander, Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans, LA, USA
Jeremy Gilston, John L. Miller Great Neck North High School, Great Neck, NY, USA
Joseph Gudger, Gilmer High School, Ellijay, GA, USA
Ambika Gupta, Hillcrest High School, Midvale, UT, USA
Patrick Haddad, Alpharetta High School, Alpharetta, GA, USA
Suzie Halman, Hilliard Davidson High School, Hilliard, OH, USA
Brandon Hanagriff, Brockwood High School, Snellville, GA, USA
Erika Handy, Mesquite High School, Gilbert, AZ, USA
Kayla Harrington, Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA, USA
Breanna Harris, Riverview High School, Searcy, AR, USA
Ronni Hastings, Lassiter High School, Marietta, GA, USA
Sarah Hawbaker, Boiling Springs High School, Boiling Springs, PA, USA
Katie Hehn, Pinewood Preparatory School, Summerville, SC, USA
Christopher Hrvoj, McIntosh High School, Peachtree City, GA, USA
Angelica Huggins, Palisades High School, Pacific Palisades, CA, USA
Shelbi Johnston, Ramah High School, Ramah, NM, USA
Kristin Jones, Troy High School, Fullerton, CA, USA
Melissa Kam, Clear Lake High School, Houston, TX, USA
Prashanth Kamalakanthan, William G. Enloe High School, Raleigh, NC, USA
Kathryn Kane, Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA, USA
Kalli Kappel, University City High School, San Diego, CA, USA
Jaime Katzer, Aviation High School, Des Moines, WA, USA
Jacob Kaufman-Waldron, Western Albemarle High School, Crozet, VA, USA
Christian Keeve, South Plantation High School, Plantation, FL, USA
Raiyan Khan, West High School, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Ji Hee Kim, John L. Miller Great Neck North High School, Great Neck, NY, USA
Rebecca Kim, Connetquot High School, Bohemia, NY, USA
Cody Kleiman, Harborfields High School, Greenlawn, NY, USA
Sophia Koeler-Derrick, Terre Haute South Vigo High School, Terre Haute, IN, USA
Alexander Kray, Phoenixville Area High School, Phoenixville, PA, USA
Chelsea Krieg, Milford Central School, Milford, NY, USA
Nick Kruger, Hanover Area Junior/Senior High School, Hanover Township, PA, USA
Taylor Kulik, Gananda Central School District, Macedon, NY, USA
Michelle Kwon, West Orange High School, West Orange, NJ, USA
Jacob Landers, Astec Charter High School, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
Eric Lange, Lutheran South Academy, Houston, TX, USA
Nicholas Lee, Simi Valley High School, Simi Valley, CA, USA
Colin Limberger, Walterville High School, Waterville, ME, USA
Kathy Lin, Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos, NM, USA
Jayson Lindley, Ross S. Sterling High School, Baytown, TX, USA
Laura Loveless, Dobyns-Bennett High School, Kingsport, TN, USA
Jonathan Low, Moanalua High School, Honolulu, HI, USA
Caitlin Lyons, Crosby High School, Crosby, TX, USA
Chase Maddox, Sagemont Upper School, Weston, FL, USA
Shawn Makarsky, Union Endicott High School, Endicott, NY, USA
Amber Meleski, Germantown High School, Germantown, WI, USA
McKenzie Miller, Mariemont High School, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Lauren Minor, Douglas MacArthur High School, San Antonio, TX, USA
Erin Morin, Pisgah High School, Brandon, MS, USA
Haley Novak, Fairview High School, Fairview Park, OH, USA
Paul Owen-Smith, Grand Blanc High School, Grand Blanc, MI, USA
Satyajeet Pal, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, Princeton Junction, NJ, USA
Kya Palomaki, Treasure Mountain International School, Park City, UT, USA
David Phelps, Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans, LA, USA
Emily Pickett, Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, PA, USA
Anna Pidong, Moanalua High School, Honolulu, HI, USA
Safa Pinkens, Arlington High School, Arlington, WA, USA
Dianne Porral, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL, USA
Claire Porter, North Springs High School, Atlanta, GA, USA
Zeta Poulin, Southwest Miami High School, Miami, FL, USA
Ricca Prasad, Victor High School, Victor, NY, USA
Ben Pringle, Downingtown High School West, Downington, PA, USA
Kyla Prior, Georges Valley Highschool, Thomaston, ME, USA
Sarah Pritchett, George Rogers Clark High School, Winchester, KY, USA
Samantha Proctor, Hanover Area Junior/Senior High School, Hanover Township, PA, USA
John Ragan, Serra Catholic High School, McKeesport, PA, USA
Saraf Rahman, Lexington High School, Lexington, MA, USA
Hannah Rajeshwar, Orange High School, Pepper Pike, OH, USA
Hannah Rakestraw, Mesquite High School, Gilbert AZ, USA
Shiv Ratan Rawal, Whitehouse High School, Whitehouse, TX, USA
Victoria Rehr, Conrad Weiser High School, Robesonia, PA, USA
Jamie Resnick, Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos, NM, USA
MaryAnn Robinson, Easley High School, Easley, SC, USA
Emily Rothkrug, John L. Miller Great Neck North High School, Great Neck, NY, USA
Elise Ruan, Concord-Carlisle Regional High School, Concord, MA, USA
Adam Safadi, Fairview High School, Boulder, CO, USA
Sania Salman, Hockaday School, Dallas, TX, USA
Stephanie Sang, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL, USA
Kevin Sargent, Enterprise High School, Redding, CA, USA
Christine Savoie, Lakeside High School, Evans, GA, USA
Rainy Schermerhorn, Douglas MacArthur High School, San Antonio, TX, USA
AnnMarie Schiavone, Concord High School, Elkhart, IN, USA
David Schneider, Spanish River High School, Boca Raton, FL, USA
Scott Schubert, East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick, NJ, USA
Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer, Winter Springs High School, Winter Springs, FL, USA
Kelsey Shares, Victor High School, Victor, NY, USA
Brian Shoemaker, Rockville High School, Rockville, CT, USA
Robert Silver, Westfield High School, Westfield, IN, USA
Carol Skelton, Thunder Ridge High School, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
Alexander Smith, Palisades High School, Pacific Palisades, CA, USA
Matthew Smith, Covington Catholic High School, Park Hills, KY, USA
Alicia Sornson, Brighton High School, Brighton, MI, USA
Leigha Stockton, Northwest High School, Cedar Hill, MO, USA
Stephanie Suarez, Clear Lake High School, Houston, TX, USA
Visakha Suresh, Shepton High School, Plano, TX, USA
Elizabeth Szymanski, Crown Point High School, Crown Point, IN, USA
Matt Taphorn, Monroe Woodbury Senior High School, Central Valley, NY, USA
Sarah Tardo, Harborfields High School, Greenlawn, NY, USA
Eric Tarosky, Franklin Regional High School, Murrysville, PA, USA
Healea Taylor, Cabot High School, Cabot, AR, USA
Travis Taylor, Sagemont Upper School, Weston, FL, USA
Elizabeth Tennant, Dobyns-Bennett High School, Kingsport, TN, USA
Jennifer Thompson, Upper St. Clair High School, Upper St. Clair, PA, USA
Hayley Thompson, The Tome School, North East, MD, USA
Jocelyn Todd, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, MO, USA
James Torre, Aberdeen High School, Aberdeen, MD, USA
Victoria Tran, Irvine High School, Irvine, CA, USA
Matt Trendowski, Westhill High School, Syracuse, NY, USA
Becky Trubitt, Bismark High School, Bismark, AR, USA
Alex Turzillo, Tigard High School, Tigard, OR, USA
Emily Vancor, Nashua High School North, Nashua, NH, USA
Kathy Varney, Deer Park Jr. /Sr. High School, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Mazie Verdin, South Lafourche High School, Galliano, LA, USA
Sara Viragova, Franklin Regional Senior High School, Murrysville, PA, USA
Kimberly Vu, Lakeside High School, Evans, GA, USA
Mary Kate Wachtel, Olathe North High School, Olathe, KS, USA
Brittany Waddell, Douglas S. Freeman High School, Richmond, VA, USA
Sibo Wang, Clear Lake High School, Houston, TX, USA
Zachary Warrick, Warrick Homeschool, Hermitage, TN, USA
Annie Waschko, Hazelton Area High School, Hazelton, PA, USA
Julia Wasnok, Troy High School, Fullerton, CA, USA
John Weber, Troy High School, Fullerton, CA, USA
Abigail Willis, Cabell Midland High School, Ona, WV, USA
Beatrice Wongchalermthan, Temple City High School, Temple City, CA, USA
Abbie Worm, Hastings High School, Hastings, MI, USA
Zachery Wulderk, Hammonton High School, Hammonton, NJ, USA
Alexandra Zortman, Mars Area High School, Mars, PA, USA