BURLINGTON, Vt., March 14 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday announced the winners of his twelfth annual State of the Union Essay Contest, which gives Vermont high school students an opportunity to take on a major issue facing the country and propose what they would do to solve it. This year, 409 students from 38 Vermont high schools submitted essays. A panel of six Vermont teachers served as volunteer judges, scoring the essays and selecting seven finalists and three winners.
Since Sanders started the contest, over 5,300 students throughout Vermont – representing almost every high school in the state – have written essays about critically important issues, including climate change, racial justice, access to mental health care, the opioid crisis, the state of our democracy, and more.
“It is no exaggeration to say that young people hold the future of the nation, and the world, in their hands,” said Sanders. “In these difficult times, what perhaps makes me most hopeful is young people like these Vermont students who are engaged in their communities and on the issues and challenges that face us today. Young people have a beautiful vision of what the future should be, and I see them out every day fighting for that future. And that is no small thing. I want to sincerely thank all the students who participated in this year’s contest. I look forward to hearing your ideas on how best to move our country forward.”
Sanders has invited the finalists to join him for a roundtable discussion, which will be held at the Vermont Statehouse on Saturday, March 26. Sanders will also enter the finalists’ essays into the Congressional Record, the official archive of the U.S. Congress.
Sasha Lann, from Brattleboro Union High School, won first-place with an essay on voting rights: “Citizens’ rights to vote may be the most fundamental aspect of our democracy, but there is a growing effort to limit it. There are several solutions that could stop the onslaught of voter restriction laws long term, starting with federal legislation to protect voting rights and remove obstacles for those facing difficulty casting votes. There should be laws to enforce automatic registration, restore voter rights for former prisoners, and increase resources for election boards to ensure security. Election day could also be made a holiday so citizens have free time to vote.”
Eva Frazier from Champlain Valley Union High School, the second-place winner, wrote on reproductive rights: “The state of reproductive rights in this country is an aggressive violation of human rights. As people turn to illegal abortions, it is crucial that lawmakers work to protect their citizens by passing federal law and upholding the International Human Rights declaration, giving humans freedom over their bodies and health care choices.”
Samuel Leggett, the third-place winner from Woodstock Union High School, wrote about hunger and the need to continue a universal school meals program: “Notwithstanding our nation’s immense prosperity and value for education, our students experience inaccessibility to affordable, nutritious food, and are seldom provided with the assistance they need. Though they may initially seem like a significant financial hurdle, universal school meals are a progressive, bipartisan, and necessary first effort in resolving the issue of food insecurity.”
The winners of this year’s essay contest are:
- First place: Sasha Lann, Brattleboro Union High School, Sophomore
- Second place: Eva Frazier, Champlain Valley Union High School, Senior
- Third place: Samuel Leggett, Woodstock Union High School, Junior
Finalists (in alphabetical order):
- Jackson Bennett, Vergennes Union High School, Junior
- Penelope Derosset, Burlington High School, Freshman
- Jocelyn Dunn, Essex High School, Junior
- Samantha Haselman, Bellows Free Academy Fairfax, Senior
- Anna Pringle, Essex High School, Junior
- Isabelle Tupper, Brattleboro Union High School, Sophomore
- Luna Wood, Champlain Valley Union High School, Senior
To read the essays of the winners and finalists, click here.
