May 31, 2012 – CMU has announced the winners of its 2012 Essay Contest for Manitoba High School Students interested in the Humanities. In establishing the contest, CMU invited students to engage with important questions about art, ethics, and theology.
“We were very excited by the submissions to CMU’s first humanities essay contest,” says CMU Admissions Counsellor Andre Forget, contest organizer. “The essays we received presented an exciting breadth of arguments, insights, and ideologies, and it was truly a challenge to narrow down the top three, and even harder to rank them. All of the students who submitted work should be proud of themselves, and we encourage them to continue thinking critically and honing their skills as writers.”
CMU High School Essay Contest Winners
First Place: Katerine Ruvalcaba de Santiago, Grade 12 student, Glenlawn Collegiate (Winnipeg)
Second Place: Ryan Hofer, Grade 12 student, Green Acres Colony School (Winnipeg)
Third Place: Bhargavi Patel, Grade 12 student, Kelvin High School (Winnipeg)
First Honourable Mention: Geethani Benedict, Grade 11 student, Fort Richmond Collegiate (Winnipeg)
Second Honourable Mention: Carrie Bergen, Grade 11 student, Neelin High School (Brandon)
Essays were judged by CMU’s Dean of Humanities Paul Dyck, Assistant Professor of Theology Paul Doerksen, Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy Chris Huebner, and Philosophy Instructor Justin Neufeld. Prize money in amounts of $500, $300, and $200 were awarded to first, second, and third place winners respectively.
“We launched this essay contest to encourage students who are still in high school to participate in the sort of critical thinking and writing that is part of a humanities education,” says Dyck. “We were gratified to see the interest this generated, and we offer our congratulations to all who submitted essays, and to our 2012 contest winners for their achievements.”