Cedar Ridge High School freshman Shireen V. placed second globally in the John Locke Institute Essay Competition, standing out among 63,328 international entries.
Her essay was selected by a panel of scholars from Oxford and Princeton, who said that Shireen demonstrated exceptional depth of thought and analysis in her work.
Earlier this month, Shireen traveled to London, England, to accept her award and present her essay during the institute’s official ceremony.
“Writing is my strong suit. I’d just won a statewide essay competition and was looking for other competitions I could compete in when I found the John Locke Institute Essay Competition,” she said. “I didn’t even expect to get shortlisted, but I thought, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ and decided to apply.”
“It was such a rewarding experience. I got to meet a bunch of high scholars, like from Harvard. It was also just really cool to meet like-minded individuals my age to talk about philosophy and other big ideas. I really enjoyed hearing their perspectives.”
Shireen’s essay focused on human freedom.
“I basically argued that human freedom can’t be enlarged by a single person and that what really enlarges human freedom is like groups of people, like a cohesive movement, that band together to create change.”
Her advice for other young writers is simple.
“Just go for it, that would be my advice. I didn’t expect to get shortlisted, but I tried, and it worked out for me!”
The John Locke Institute Essay Competition encourages young thinkers to engage critically with topics in philosophy, politics, economics, and history. Shireen’s achievement highlights the academic excellence and global perspective fostered at Round Rock ISD.