2022 John Sexton Essay Contest

The John Sexton Scholars Program invites high school students across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to participate in the 2022 John Sexton Essay Contest. The competition challenges students to write an original and creative research essay for the following prompt:

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Currently, there are over 80 million displaced people in the world today. Experts agree that climate change will cause a much larger refugee crisis in the coming decades. Make recommendations to inform global efforts to address this complex, impending emergency based on the Rohingya refugee crisis, as well as at least one other mass displacement.

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Rules & Rubric

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Eligibility

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All students must:

• Currently be enrolled in a high school (grades 9-12)

• Attend a school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut

• Not have previously won or received an honorable mention in the John Sexton Essay Contest

• Not be related to any member of the John Sexton Scholars Program Team or current judge

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Submission Guidelines

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• The deadline is 11:59 pm EST on June 30th, 2022

• Essays must be submitted via our website

• The following must be submitted via our website's submission page: name, email address, high school currently attending, and current grade level.

• Entries must be sent as a PDF document. The title should be your last name then first name. (Ex: Sexton, John)

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Essay Requirements

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• No more than 500 words (excluding in-text citations)

• At least three varied sources, such as newspapers and journal articles, books, TED Talks, videos, documentaries, government websites, and JS Scholar Interviews 

• Sources must be documented with in-text citations and a bibliography​

• Only one entry per student per year

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Awards & Scholars Program

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1st Place Winner: $1000

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2nd Place Winner: $300

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3rd Place Winner: $200

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Five Honorable Mentions:  $50 each

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All winners will be awarded a plaque at our event and will have their essays posted on our website

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All eight winners will receive:

• A personal Awards Ceremony for students and their families

• SAT tutoring with Sentia Education & additional college application assistance

• A unique college & career mentorship with NYU President Emeritus, John Sexton

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Winners will also become members of our Scholars Program, which includes:

• Writing mentorships with our Student Journal

• A unique collective grantmaking experience

• Various internship opportunities

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Awards are sponsored by: Justice For All and Sentia Education

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Winners will be announced and notified via email by August 1, 2022.

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Past winners of the John Sexton Essay Contest have gone on to attend NYU, Harvard,

Syracuse, Yale, Cornell, and many other prestigious colleges and universities.

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Judging Criteria

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Content will count for 75% and the following parameters will be considered:

1. Focus:  Insightful development of a relevant thesis

2. Supporting Evidence:  Well researched analysis of the question and convincing arguments with specific examples (Use evidence to support your ideas; do not merely paraphrase sources).

3. Source Material:  Bibliography of three or more varied sources

 

Presentation will count for 25% and the following parameters will be considered:

1. Quality of Writing:  Clarity, flow, vocabulary, and style

2. Organization: Well-structured essay, including an introduction and conclusion

3. Conventions:  Spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation

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Resources

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We recommend that you peruse the following resources to best prepare for the contest: ​​​

• Advice from previous contest winners and their essays published on this website

• Purdue Online Writing Lab's free writing and MLA guide

• Our YouTube Channel for interviews by JS Scholars with leading world experts

• ​Our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages for ongoing news on the contest and advice on how to approach the essay

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Disclaimers

• ​The Essay must be solely the work of the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification. Essays must not infringe on any third-party rights or intellectual property of any person, company or organization.

• The John Sexton Scholars Program reserves the right to print and display the essays and photographs of the contest winners.

• Previous year winners are not eligible to compete in the contest.

• All entries become the property of the John Sexton Scholars Program and will not be returned.

• Decisions of the John Sexton Essay Contest Committee are final.