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2004 The Fountainhead Essay Contest

First Place

Gena Gorlin, North Central High School, Indianapolis, IN, USA
[Read essay]

Second Place

Brian Eha, Winter Springs, FL
Juliet Tan, Anglo-Chinese, Singapore
Emily Hill, Grayson HS, Grayson, GA
Janice Wang, Semiahmoo Secondary, Surrey, Canada
Emily Ruskovich, Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy, Blanchard, ID

Third Place

Katie Gallagher, Lansing Catholic HS, East Lansing, MI
Britt Long, Saint Francis HS, San Jose, CA
Kyle Beauchamp, Saint Louis Priory School, Wentzville, MO
Amy Schuff, Canby HS, Canby, OR
Kristen Davis, Homeschooled, Stuart, VA
Darrow Godeski-Merton, Hastings HS, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Gino Salvatelli, Westminster Academy, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Graham Picklesimer, Walter L. Sickles HS, Lutz, FL
David Crawford, Montgomery Blair HS, Silver Spring, MD
Abigail Kurfman, Gladston HS, Portland, OR

Finalists

Lexie Mitter, Andover HS, West Bloomfield, MI
Casey Wilson, Pontotoc HS, Pontotoc, MS
Dan Reitemeier, Totin-Grace HS, Maple Grove, MN
Megan Owens, Oxford Area HS, Oxford, PA
Kelli Monahan, Thomas Sumter Academy, Shaw AFB, SC
Dylan Gottlieb, Fox Lane HS, Pound Ridge, NY
Will Wilkinson, Urbandale HS, Urbandale, Iowa
Rachel Dooly, Mulberry Grove HS, Mulberry Grove, IL
Laurel Karlsen, Nepean HS, Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Emily Chen, Mont Kiara International School, Mont Kiara, KL Malaysia
Darby Rahme, Western Canada HS, Calgary, Alberta Canada
Emily Petit, Dover HS, Dover, NH
Cameron Klinginsmith, Curtis HS, University Place, WA
Aaron George, Summit HS, Dillon, CO
Stephen Nichols, Tacoma School of the Arts, Tacoma, WA
Kathleen Cooper, Phillips Exeter Academy, Durham, NH
Sweta Agrawal, Bridgewater Raritan HS, Raritan, NJ
Nadezhda Evstiounina, Upper St. Clair HS, Pittsburgh, PA
Ali Mokhtarzadeh, George Washington HS, Charleston, WV
Michelle Fessler, Saint Thomas Aquinas HS, Olathe, KS
Claire Bea, Thomas Jefferson for Science and Tech., Alexandria, VA
Kenneth Cochran, Freehold Township HS, Howell, NJ
Sarah Gifford, Homeschooled, South Dartmouth, MA
Isaac Spiel, Garfield HS, Seattle, WA
Marie Jaquish, Granville HS, Granville, Ohio
Rachel Bristol, Douglas HS, Minden, NV
Emily Rosenberg, Shaker Heights HS, Shaker Heights, OH
Bradley Stephen Vance, Cinncinnati, OH
Mikael Kristiansen, Nederland HS, CO
Julia O'Rourke, Fridley, MN
Laura Brymer, Ballard HS, Louisville, KY
Ashley N. Thomas, Homeschooled, Columbia, MO
June Peng, Tahoma Senior HS, Maple Valley, WA
Jeisun Charles Wen, University HS, Bloomington, IL
John Jackman, Colony HS, Wasilla, AK

Semi-Finalists

Mark Wentworth, Delbarton School, Mendham, NJ
Alexander Cook, Lansing Catholic HS, Lansing, MI
Lily Peterson, Lansing Catholic HS, Lansing, MI Rae Calcote, San Pedro HS, San Pedro, CA
Nathaniel Roe, Montclair HS, Montclair, NJ
Rachel Samson, Harvard HS, Harvard, NE
Laura McLean, Henry County HS, Paris, TN
Sarah Johnson, Natchitoches Central HS, Natchitoches, LA
Ravi Patel, South Plainfield HS, South Plainfield, NJ
Ashley Ritchey, South Plainfield HS, South Plainfield, NJ
Max Chalfin, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional, Dennis, MA
Jessica TenEyck, Lake HS, Millbury, OH
Nick Turigliatto, Lake HS, Millbury, OH
Rupa Baskaran, Illinois Math and Science Academy, Homewood, IL
Mark Rawls, York County School of the Arts, Yorkstown, VA
Stacy Anderson, St. Ignatius College Prepatory, Daly City, CA
Kristen N. Coffey, Rhinebeck HS, Rhinebeck, NY
David Pratt-Robson, Rhinebeck HS, Rhinebeck, NY
Maia Woolner, Rhinebeck HS, Rhinebeck, NY
Jonathan Beitner, Andover HS, West Bloomfield, MI
Robert McMurray, Mountain View HS, Vancouver, WA
Katie Hagen, Mountain View HS, Vancouver, WA
Kate Kopmann, Roxbury HS, Succasunna, NJ
Wei Li, Upper Arlington HS Sch, Columbus, OH
Rebecca Geleyn, École Rose-des-Vents, Wilmot, NS Canada
Katy Hally, Dartmouth HS, Dartmouth, NS Canada
Amy Dinh, Tracy Joint Union HS, Tracy, CA
Jim Tollefson, Los Lunas HS, Tome, NM
Mallory Skinner, South Newton HS, Earl Park, IN
Rosanne West, Beech HS, Hendersonville, TN
Julia Wade, Parkland HS, Allentown, PA
Lucas Robinson, Kemmerer HS, Kemmerer, WY
Jessalynn Uchacz, Mariner HS, Everett, WA
Deirdre Ethington, Hanford HS, Richland, WA
Laura Maxwell, Lincoln Park Academy, Port St. Lucie, FL
Ryan Hughes, Cherry Hill HS West, Cherry Hill, NJ
Colby Grotem, John F Kennedy HS, Normandy Park, WA
Chris Fuller, First Coast HS, Jacksonville, FL
Amy Godenick, Oakbrook Preparatory School, Spartanburg, SC
Jessica Wilbarger, Anthony Wayne, Whitehouse, OH
Mary Stitt, Stitt Home School, West Fork, AR
Brandon Bishop, Chase County HS, Imperial, NE
Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Centre Wellington District HS, Fergus, ON Canada
Jacob Speelman, Calgary Christian School-North Campus, Calgary, AB Canada
Richard Clay, Roncalli HS, Aberdeen, SD
Zeeshaan Bhatti, Rochester Adams HS, Rochester Hills, MI
Clair Mesick, Albany Academy for Girls, Coeymans Hollow, NY
Theresa Klear, Holgate Local Schools, New Bavaria, OH
Tyler Kimble, Southwest HS, Green Bay, WI
Karlyn Tjaden, Chaska HS, Chaska, MN
Olga Kamensky, Stuyvesant HS, Bronx, NY
Samantha Flynn, The Prairie School, Zenda, WI
Kelly Kreimer, Prior Lake HS, Prior Lake, MN
Angeline Protacio, Rowland HS, Chino Hills, CA
Kevin Caldwell, Hunters Lane Comprehensive HS, Nashville, TN
Jacqueline Mehlberg, Robinson Secondary, Burke, VA
Andrew Godbehere, Manalapan HS, Marlboro, NJ
Sarah Carnicella, Altoona Area HS, Altoona, PA
Crystl Chang, Amos Alonzo Stagg HS, Palos Hills, IL
Laura Kamfonik, Norwood HS, Norwood, MA
Allison Cosbey, Homestead HS, Fort Wayne, IN
Karen Evans, Mayo HS, Rochester, MN
Jack Hsiao, Lamar Consolidated HS, Sugar Land, TX
Leila Ceder, Townsend Harris HS, Flushing, NY
Julie Freberg, Arizona School for the Arts, Scottsdale, AZ
Elizabeth Longeway, East Leyden HS, Franklin Park, IL
Brian Vass, Whitehall HS, Whitehall, PA
Ji Ma, J.J. Pearce HS, Dallas, TX
Samuel George, Jamaica HS, Sidell, IL
Megan Ford, Ripon HS, Ripon, CA
Lauren Hosek, Arapahoe HS, Centennial, CO
Jacob Barto, Corona del Sol HS, Chandler, AZ
Sam Burden, Cheney HS, Cheney, WA
Johnny Garcia, Winston Churchill HS, Eugene, Oregon
George Brell, West Anchorage HS, Anchorage, AK
Betar Gallant, Natick HS, Natick, MA
D.J. Demers, Resurrection Catholic Secondary School, Kitchener, ON Canada
Xianlin Li, The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Cary, NC
Qingru Zhou, Earl Haig Secondary School, Toronto, ON Canada
Byron Ho, Poway HS, Poway, CA
Kathy Hash, St. Albans HS, Tornado, WV
Emily Wachtel, Agoura HS, Agoura Hills, CA
Brenton Achelpohl, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, Kansas City, MO
Patrick Nutter, Ripon HS, Ripon, WI
Brandon Smith, Ayala, Chino Hills, CA
Raphael Barcham, HSland Park HS, Highland Park, NJ
John Quick, Oratory Prep, Liberty Corner, NJ
Surina Kumar, Huntington HS, Huntington, WV
Jonathan Price, North Kansas City HS, Kansas City, MO
Kalie Kissoon, Allen D. Nease HS, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Alyssa Knox, Campbell Collegiate, Regina, SK Canada
Demetria Worley, Hampshire HS, Hampshire, TN
Margaret Bezrutczyk, Long Island Lutheran HS, West Hempstead, NY
Alexia Lewis, Visitation HS, Eden Prairie, MN
Jennifer Ewing, Niceville HS, Niceville, FL
Allison Sanders, Greater Latrobe Senior HS, Latrobe, PA
Maggie McDonald, Bishop McDevitt HS, Harrisburg, PA
Haley Dilling, Vero Beach HS, Vero Beach, FL
Kaitlin Brush, Carson HS, Carson Cty, NV
Daniel Randolph, Needham B. Broughton HS, Raleigh, NC
Brianne Harris, Newport HS, Newport, WA
Kristen Low, Greenwood, IN
Jocelyn Lybarger, Galena HS, Reno, NV
Justin Pines, Campolindo HS, Lafayette, CA
Gregory Hunter, Ames HS, Ames, IA
Vanshika Vij, Maumee Valley Country Day School, Perrysburg, OH
Sean Hansen, Royal HS, Simi Valley, CA
Lydia Whitlock, Woodward Academy, College Park, GA
Katrina Redelsheimer, Sage Hill School, Newport Beach, CA
Alex McCrum, Waldport HS, Waldport, OR
Joy Nyenhuis, W. Lafayette Jr./Sr. HS, W. Lafayette, IN
Esther Englander, Rabbi Joseph H Lookstein Upper School of Ramaz, New York, NY
Nina Foucher, Whitney Young HS, Chicago, IL
Sonia Lei, Joel Barlow HS, Easton, CT
Joshua Tan, St. Mark's School of Texas, Plano, TX
James Faeh, Dunedin HS, Dunedin, FL
Ryan Hubbard, Dobyns-Bennett HS, Kinsport, TN
Jonathan Billig, Hastings HS, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Moni Adefolalu, Page HS, Greensboro, NC
Michael Masefield, Brick Township HS, Brick, NJ
Carl Richardson, Sherburne-Earlville Central School, South Plymouth, NY
Erik Schuchard, Homestead HS, Mequon, WI
Christina Furuya, Carl Sandburg HS, Orland Park, IL
Cristina Nowak, Hutchsinson Central Technical HS, Buffalo, NY
Jamie Metcalfe, Shaler Area HS, Glenshaw, PA
Andrew Dowe, Jesuit HS, Tampa, FL
Amanda Pires, Ursuline HS, Windsor, CA
Tonia Wu, Cy-Fair HS, Cypress, TX
Rebekah Reid, Oswgeo HS, Oswego, IL
Artur Narkiewicz-Jodko, Klamath Union HS, Klamath Falls, OR
Alexandra Ristow, Hickman HS, Columbia, MO
Stephanie Chen, Glenbrook North HS, Northbrook, IL
Victor Palacios, South El Monte HS, El Monte, CA
Claire Burrows, Sir James Dunn Collegiate and Vocational School, Sault Ste. Marie, ON Canada
Kristin MacDonald, Harvard-Westlake School, Sherman Oaks, CA
Brian Boyd, Westwood HS, Georgetown, TX
Eric Meng, Gretchen Whitney HS, Cerritos, CA
Steven Rodenbach, Henry Foss HS, Lakewood, WA
Sarah Smith, Homestead HS, Sunnyvale, CA
Nicole Kolbasiuk, Springstead HS, Spring Hill, FL
Amanda Fegley, Pennridge HS, Telford, PA
Sarah Alsamarai, West Morris Central HS, Long Valley, NJ
Garrett Morgan, Chaminade College Preparatory, Oxnard, CA
Meaghan Beattie, (home-schooled), Oakland, CA
Chad Campbell, Vero Beach HS, Vero Beach, FL
Nora Nienhagen, Buena HS, Sierra Vista, AZ
Jessica Eaton, Kearney HS, MO
Johiquelle S. Watts, S. S. Murphy HS, Mobile, AL
Paul Acosta, Mohonasen HS, Schenectady, NY
Lori Continelli, Mohonasen HS, Rensselaer, NY
Jenny Elliott, Mohonasen HS, Rotterdam, NY
Leslie Eliashuk, Mohonasen HS, Schenectady, NY
Afton Waters, Mohonasen HS, Schenectady, NY
David J McKenna, Hudson HS, Hudson, MA
Meaghan Taylor, The Colony HS, The Colony, TX
Nicole Kittel, Weyerhaeuser School, Weyerhaeuser, WI
Phillip Galligan, St Paul Central HS, Saint Paul, MN
Candace Mitchell, Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, MA
Jillian Bladow, Wisconsin Heights HS, Mazomanie, WI
Elizabeth Frisby, Carl Sandburg HS, Orland Park, IL
Meghan McGrenera, Carl Sandburg HS, Orland Park, IL
Rachel Smeda, Heritage Academy, Columbia, MO
Sandra Nokes, Butte HS, Butte, MT
Adam Meredith, Southern Fulton HS, Needmore, PA
Eric Truax, Southern Fulton HS, Needmore, PA
Elizabeth Morin, Haldane Central HS, Cold Spring, NY
Alison Duncan, Shawnee Mission North HS, Shawnee, KS
Abigail Anne Boyd, Southern Lakes HS, Fenton, MI
Justin Henceroth, Summit HS, Dillon, CO
Jennifer Padgett, Homeschooled, Grand Prairie, TX
Charles Boyle, Wasilla HS, Wasilla, AK
Virginia Silvis, Flushing Senior HS, Flushing, MI
Tzviah Dulin, Ketchikan HS, Ketchikan, AK
Kim Bonner, Shawnee HS, Medford, NJ
Stefanie Brawner, Buena HS, Ventura, CA
Samuel Blake, Leigh HS, San Jose, CA
Samuel R Howe, Belmont Hill, Belmont, ME
Elisabeth Duncan, Timpanogos HS, Orem, UT
Mackenzie Gibbons, Weddington HS, Weddington, NC
Amanda Billings, Harrisonville HS, Harrisonville, MO
Justin Forsyth, Oakton HS, Farifax, VA
Dennis Jansen, Booker T. Washington Senior HS, Miami, FL
Vicky Ortengren, Liberty HS, Colorado Springs, CO
Jason Kephart, Skyview HS, Billings, MT
Shannon Williams, Jefferson City HS, Jefferson City, MO
Jessica Millar, Germantown Academy, Phoenixville, PA
Jospeh Torella, Union Catholic Regional, Edison, NJ
Julie E Uspal, Wilson HS, Wyomissing, PA
Lauren Doll, Downingtown West HS, Dowingtown, PA
Leslie Small, Downingtown West HS, Dowingtown, PA
Nikolas Burkhart, Pellston HS, Brutus, MI
Kyle Jespersen, Aarthur P Schalick HS, Pittsgrove, NJ
Caitlin Roberts, Land O'Lakes HS, Land O'lake, FL
Andrea Wollitz, Grafton HS, Grafton, ND
Ross Coe, Thomas Jeffeerson HS, Potomac Falls, VA
Piper Armstrong, Timpview HS, Pravo, UT
Kaidi He, Irvine, CA
Cara Mozola, Williamston HS, Williamston, WI
Whitney Ruebhausen, Granite City HS, Granite City, IL