2022-23 High School Essay Contest Winners

The Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture at the University of Portland is pleased to announce the award recipients of the 2022-23 Garaventa Center High School Essay Contest.

The prompt for this year’s essay was inspired by the idea of unmasking…laying down my mask…missing my mask, not the literal health impacts of a particular mask policy.

Congratulations to the top winners:

Talise Bivins, "An Ordinary Mask" DeSales Catholic HS (WA) 
Willa Fahrbach, "Freedom in Vulnerability" St. Mary's Academy (OR)

Congratulations to those receiving honorable mentions:

Jackelin Martinez, "Conceal and Reveal" Tri-Cities Prep (WA)
Rieve Laurence Randall, "Masking My Insecurities" Blanchet Catholic HS (OR)
Parker Zaemann, "Radioactive Life" Seton Catholic HS (WA)

Click on the titles to read the winning essays.

To all the faculty and counselors who help support this annual contest, please accept our sincere appreciation. We received many fine submissions from juniors at Catholic high schools all along the West Coast. Essays are judged anonymously, without names or school affiliations. Information regarding next year’s essay competition will be posted in the Fall of 2023.

Again, congratulations to the winners of the 2022-23 Garaventa Center High School Essay Contest!