Student Writing Challenge Winners

2024 Winners of the President Gerald R. Ford Student Writing Challenge

Congratulations to this year’s winners of the Student Writing Challenge! Our judges read submissions from over 800 students; these are the essays that came out on top.

We were excited to read from so many perspectives on what the words “American citizen” mean to high school juniors and seniors across the United States. Students were asked to ground their writing in Ford’s humanitarian relief for America’s Vietnamese allis in 1975.

Prizes ranged from $500 – 2,500 and were awarded to these students:

2024 Winners

First Place: Lily Hestjean, Munster High School, IN
Second Place: Summer Khan, Forest Hill Northern High School, MI
Third Place: Madelyn Hanes, Winston Salem Forsyth Country Schools, NC

Honorable Mention: Swayam Rath, Hebron High School, TX
Honorable Mention: Aidan Brody, St. Johnsbury Academy, VT
Honorable Mention: Brian Burgess, Timpview High School, UT
Honorable Mention: Arianna Li, Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas, NV
Honorable Mention: Angel Monarrez, Indian Creek High School, IL
Honorable Mention: Makenna Bubolz, Shawano Community High School, WI
Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Pauba, South Gwinnett High School, GA

Past Winners of the President Gerald R. Ford Student Writing Challenge

2023 Winners

First Place: Aidan P. Rozema, Grand Rapids Christian
Second Place: Melanie TenElshof, Plymouth Christian
Third Place: Grace Langeland, Hamilton High School
Out-of-State Award Winner: Abdu-Rehman Saeed, Blackman High School
Out-of-State Award Winner: Anna-Elise Feldman, Farmington High School
Finalist: Allison Tate, Whitehall Senior High School
Finalist: Andries Berens, Kent ISD ATYP
Finalist: Allison Lamer, Northpointe Christian High School
Finalist: Emily Bazen, Plymouth Christian School
Finalist: Sonnet Xu, Troy High School

2022 Winners

First place: Melanie TenElshof, Plymouth Christian
Second place: Olivia Knibbe, Plymouth Christian
Third place: Wendy Pulido Rodriguez, Grant High School
Out-of-State Award Winner: Grace Bennett, Riverside High School, Leesburg, VA
Finalist: Luke Douglass, Ravenna High School
Finalist: Claudia Duimstra, City High Middle School
Finalist: Addy Forbes, Northview High School
Finalist: Elizabeth J. Kuhlmann, Homeschool, St. Joseph, MI
Finalist: Julia Simon, Grant High School

2021 Winners

First Place: Khushi Patel, Wayne Memorial High School
Second Place: Clara Riddering, Newaygo High School
Third Place: Ella Tupper, Genesee Early College
Out-of-State Award Winner: Samantha Webster-Bernal, Winston Churchill High School, Oregon
Finalist: Samantha Cyr, Jenison Senior High School
Finalist: Joshua Gill, Cass Technical High School
Finalist: Emma Hart, Grand Rapids Christian High School
Finalist: Andrew Karafa, Forest Hills Eastern High School
Finalist: Olivia Knibbe, Plymouth Christian High School
Finalist: Priyanka Malaker, City High Middle School
Finalist: Jenna Pegman, Grand Rapids Christian High School
Finalist: Lily Swinehart, Newaygo High School

2020 Winners

Read all essays from Winners & Finalists
View photos of the 2020 Winners and Finalists


First Place: Isabel Gil, Forest Hills Eastern High School
Second Place: Lillian Van Gelderen, Hart High School
Third Place: Harlie Choponis, Hart High School
Out-of-State Award Winner: Jada Hall, St. Georges Technical High School
Finalist: Megan Grant, Newaygo High School
Finalist: Nina Lu, City High Middle School
Finalist: Ethan Magley, City High Middle School
Finalist: Carter Meyer, Grand Rapids Christian HS
Finalist: Kandace Pewee, Grand Rapids Christian HS
Finalist: Melanie TenElshof, Plymouth Christian HS
Finalist: Sabra Wolven, Newaygo High School

2019 Winners

View photo from the 2019 awards program
First Place: Caroline Kuntzman, Forest Hills Northern High School
Second Place: Megan Grant, Newaygo High School
Third Place: Ben Joppich, Catholic Central High School
Out-of-State Award Winner: Mason Chandler, Spring Branch Texas
Honorable Mention: Cecilia Botta, City High/Middle School
Honorable Mention: Cassandra DeVries, Providence Christian School
Honorable Mention: Danielle Fedrigo, Grand Rapids Christian High School
Honorable Mention: Josephine Koch, Forest Hills Northern High School
Honorable Mention: Katie Townley, Byron Center High School
Honorable Mention: Colton Powell, St. Johns High School
Honorable Mention: Brandon Walker, Wyoming High School

2018 Winners

View photos from the 2018 awards program
First Place: Aneeqa Hasan, Forest Hills Central High School
Second Place: Melanie Roelofs, Plymouth Christian High School
Third Place: Aunner Calderon, Union High School
Out-of-State Award Winner: Carrie Hathaway, Geneseo Middle/High School
Honorable Mention: Megan Grant, Newaygo Public High School
Honorable Mention: Emily LaRue, Grand Rapids Christian High School
Honorable Mention: Tina Nguyen, Forest Hills Eastern High School
Honorable Mention: Ryann Reese, Ferndale High School
Top Finalist Award: Suki Rajan, Forest Hills Eastern High School
Top Finalist Award: Landyn Teachout, Grandville High School
Top Finalist Award: Reian Zhang, City High Middle School

2017 Winners

View photo from the 2017 awards program
First Place: Daisy Hagen, 11th Grade, Newaygo High School
Second Place: Maya Trowe, 12th Grade, Forest Hills Eastern High School
Third Place: Deena Hoffman, 12th Grade, Plymouth Christian High School

2016 Winners

View photo from the 2016 awards program
First Place: Madison Goen, 12th Grade, Kenowa Hills High School
Second Place: Benjamin Rozema, 11th Grade, Calvin Christian High School
Third Place: Lois Biggs, 12th Grade, Forest Hills High School
Honorable Mention: Hannah Baird, 12th Grade, Forest Hills Eastern High School
Honorable Mention: Sarah Baxter, 10th Grade, Catholic Central High School
Honorable Mention: Deena Hoffman, 11th Grade, Plymouth Christian High School
Honorable Mention: Elliott Hoogerland, 12th Grade, Forest Hills Eastern High School
Honorable Mention: Bethany Morse, 11th Grade, Calvin Christian High School
Honorable Mention: Emily VanderBerg, 12th Grade, Plymouth Christian High School

2015 Winners

First Place: Elizabeth Dykens, 10th Grade, Home School
Second Place: Kendra Kunst, 11th Grade, Calvin Christian High School
Third Place: Anthony DeWitte, Calvin Christian High School

2014 Winners

First Place: Michael Aaberg, 12th Grade, Forest Hills Northern High School
Second Place: Kallen Schwark, 12th Grade, Forest Hills Northern High School
Third Place: Arika Sporte, 12th Grade, Plymouth Christian High School

2013 Winners

First Place: Olivia McLean, 12th Grade, Forest Hills Eastern High School
Second Place: Olivia Marie Rice, 12th Grade, Schoolcraft High School
Third Place: Brooklyn Wilson, 9th Grade, Grand Rapids Catholic Central

2012 Winners

First Place: Grady Sertic, 12th Grade, Portage Central High School
Second Place: Samantha Kay Dickson, 11th Grade, Allendale High School
Third Place: Sarah Hartlieb, 12th Grade, Schoolcraft High School

2011 Winners

First Place: Emilee Ritz, 12th Grade, Forest Hills Northern High School
Second Place: Steve Jakubowski, 10th Grade, Catholic Central High School
Third Place: John Veldkamp, 9th Grade, Calvin Christian High School

2010 Winners

First Place: Martha Veldkamp, 12th Grade, Calvin Christian High School
Second Place: Sara DenBraber, 9th Grade, Catholic Center High School
Third Place: Rachel McDaniel, 12th Grade, Allegan High School

2009 Winners

First Place: Steven Harwood, 12th Grade, Northview High School
Second Place: Sarah Legault, 11th Grade, Forest Hills Northern High School
Third Place: Joanna Chen, 11th Grade, Forest Hills Northern High School