2026 Student Essay Competition

‘Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness’: 250 Years Later

2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia during the summer of 1776. In commemoration, students across Pennsylvania were invited to answer the following prompt:

In this anniversary year, how well do you think the American people and their government are upholding equality, human rights and “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”? Whether you think the picture is positive, negative or mixed, please provide a few examples to support your judgment.

We received 38 entries from 16 high schools across the Commonwealth. Here are our award winners:

Content Runner-ups

The authors of these three essays earned $250:

Honorable Mentions

14 students earned an Honorable Mention distinction in 2026. Their essays are linked here.

Violet Brooks, 9th grade
Garnet Valley High School, Delaware County

Alexis Song, 11th grade
Manheim Township High School, Lancaster County

Camelia Floria, 12th grade
Abington High School, Montgomery County

Nicole Diana Barrera, 12th grade
Mapletown High School, Greene County

Brady Sirochman, 9th grade
Laurel Highlands High School, Fayette County

Zoe Kelly, 11th grade
Abington High School, Montgomery County

Eloise Levin, 12th grade
Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy, Philadelphia

Mark Papakirk, 12th grade
Central Bucks South High School, Bucks County

Madison Sheffer, 12th grade
Biglerville High School, Adams County

Alexis Pinzarrone, 12th grade
North Penn High School, Montgomery County

Harper Lawson, 11th grade
The Baldwin School, Montgomery County

Julia Schell, 10th grade
Whitehall High School, Lehigh County

Zakhar Salamakha, 10th grade
Whitehall High School, Lehigh County

Habib Leyos, 12th grade
Whitehall High School, Lehigh County