Were you a winner of one of our past essay contests? Let us know. We’d love to know how the essay contest shaped your career choice and do a follow-up blog on you!
2021
Winner: Ben Goldberg
Topic: How Could Relationships Among International Communities be Useful in Responding to Global Crises?
After a year of virtual learning because of COVID-19, students were encouraged to submit any creative entry that applied to the global crisis topic. Bethlehem Central High School senior Ben Goldberg took the top prize with his essay on the importance of sports in fostering international relationships. Judges had a record number of impressive entries this year: 54 from ten local high schools and 2 colleges. Goldberg won a $1,000 first prize followed up by 2nd and 3rd place prizes shared with team winners Maxine Alpart and Elizabeth Liu along with Haley Gebauer and Mirzad Glavic.
2020
Winner: Amelia Colafati
Topic: Youth Saving the World
This year our students embraced the very critical topic “Youth Saving the World.” Students were asked to write about how young people in the U.S. and Russia are working on issues related to the environment. All entries proved well researched and insightful with an emphasis on being proactive. Amelia Colafati took first prize and received $1000. Bethlehem Central senior Michelle Moczulski won second place and received $500. Shaker High School sophomore Abigail Poole earned third place and received $250 for her efforts.
2019
Winner: Anna Boggess
Topic: A quote from Nelson Mandela
This year our student entrants tackled a quote from Nelson Mandela: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” From an incredibly strong field, Anna Boggess, a senior at Emma Willard School, won first prize, Amelia Colafati, a junior at Albany High School, was our second-place winner, and Adam Aleksic, an AHS senior, won our third-place prize.
2018
Winner: Adam Aleksic
Topic: Learning from Generations
Our essay topic this year was, “What can older generations learn from your generation?“ The first prize winner was Adam Aleksic, a junior at Albany High School. Second prize winner was Ian Moore, a senior at Averill Park. Alexandra Reszytniak a junior at the Academy of Holy Names, won our third-place prize.
2017
Winner: Samantha Vatalaro
Topic: Women’s Suffrage
In honor of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New York State, students were asked to compare the women’s rights movements in the United States and Russia over the past 150 years. First prize winner Samantha Vatalaro is from Shaker High, second prize winner Kerensa Hughes is from Schenectady High, and third prize winner Adam Aleksic hails from Albany High.
2016:
Winner: Erin Lippitt
Topic: International Partnerships
We asked writers to identify and discuss ways in which Russia and the U.S. have worked together successfully to solve problems and how they can continue to work together in partnerships of mutual interest to create a more harmonious world and improve lives. The first-place winner was Erin Lippitt, an Albany High School sophomore. The second prize winner was Robert Willard, a senior at Bethlehem High School, and the third prize winner was Ian Boldiston, also a sophomore at Albany High.
2014:
Winner: Isaac Smith
Topic: Social Media Influence
This year we asked students to research the impact of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube on Russian culture and Russia’s relationship with the United States. The top three finalists were Isaac Smith, a homeschooled junior from Clifton Park, Tarek Atallah Benson, a senior at Albany High, and Michael Bangert-Drowns, a junior at Albany High. Isaac and Tarek traveled with chaperones Sonja Stark and Jack Aernecke on a 10-day trip to Tula, Moscow, and St. Petersburg.
2013:
Winner: Will Heatley
Topic: Olympiad Contest
Olympiad winners Will Heatley, a sophomore from Tamarac High School, and Margarette Keesee, a junior from Guilderland High School, along with chaperone Barbara Webster, enjoyed a whirlwind trip to Tula, Russia.
2012:
Winner: Rose Schneider and Haewon Hwang
Topic: Leo Tolstoy
Ichabod Crane High School senior Rose Schneider and Guilderland High School Senior Haewon Hwang both won our Essay Contest entitled, “Citing specific examples from Leo Tolstoy’s short stories, describe his influence on the thought of world leaders” and a trip to Russia with volunteer chaperones Mary Emerson, Dawn Stuart Weinraub, and Sonja Stark.
2011:
Winner: Wyatt Smith
Topic: Space Exploration
Essay contest winner and homeschooled junior Wyatt Smith of Clifton Park, who tackled the topic of U.S./Russian cooperation in space exploration, and Olympiad winners David Connor, a junior at Tamarac High School, and Alessandra Pratt from North Warren Central School enjoyed visits to Tula and Moscow with chaperone Lana Sullivan.
2010:
Winner: Rachel Augustine and Charlotte Storch
Topic: Improving Lives
This year we asked, “What could Presidents Medvedev and Obama do together to improve the lives of Americans and Russians?” Shenendehowa senior Rachel Augustine and Bethlehem High junior Charlotte Storch won a trip to Tula, chaperoned by Dawn Stuart Weinraub and hosted by Tolstoy Tula State Pedagogical University.