Camden Conference essay winners announced

The government of India would be wise to study the words of this year’s winners of the Bill Taylor Essay Contest – John Punnachalil of Oceanside High School, Artur Savchii of Gould Academy, and Shreyassu Handral of Brewer High School (pictured left to right). The essays, based on the theme of the 2024 Camden Conference, INDIA, Rising Ambitions, Challenges at Home, won high praise from the judges for their depth, originality, and the quality of their research.

John Punnachalil, the valedictorian of Oceanside High’s Class of 2024, took first prize with his essay, “Addressing Air Pollution in India: A Comprehensive Policy Proposal.” The panel of judges praised John for his cogent exploration of an “often overlooked” environmental concern “with style, an engaging voice and well researched data.” He will attend Bowdoin College in the fall.

Second prize went to Artur Savchii, valedictorian of the Gould Academy Class of 2024. Artur’s essay, “Unemployment and Labor Market Dynamics in India: Issues, Comparisons, and Strategies,” was appreciated by the judges for its “forward-thinking consideration” of India’s labor concerns. He came to Gould as part of the Ukrainian Global Scholars program and will attend New York University in Abu Dhabi next year.

Shreyassu Handral, a 10th grade student at Brewer High School, was awarded third prize in the contest with his essay, “A Polluted India’s Crisis,” an exploration of India’s mounting environmental and public health concerns. The judges felt the essay was “concise and well-supported.” Moreover, they added, Shreyassu devoted “a commendable amount of effort to the proposal of solutions.”

Laurie Stone, a member of the Camden Conference Education Committee and one of the judges, said, “This year’s competitors showed out-of-the box thinking and excellent writing skills.

We essay readers were rewarded with the knowledge that many high school students care deeply about the same topics adults care about and can articulate their ideas in well-written research essays.”

Many thanks to Stone and her fellow judges, Dwight Blue and Nathan Rockwood, for carefully reading through the 28 submitted essays to determine the winners, and for their thoughtful comments on the prize-winning essays. And thanks to the schools and teachers who participate in Camden Conference in the Classroom. The essays are available for reading on the Camden Conference website.

The Camden Conference is a nonprofit, non-partisan volunteer-driven citizens forum, whose mission is to foster informed discourse on world issues through year-round public engagement in community events and student education programs, culminating in an annual February weekend conference. For more information, please visit www.camdenconference.org .