High School Essay Contest
March 16 to April 16, 2026
Emerging Voices of the Pacific Union
SUBMISSION MUST BE IN BY APRIL 16, 2026
Contest Prizes:
- First place: $500 cash + $1,000 scholarship
- Second place: $300 cash + $1,000 scholarship
- Third place: $200 cash + $1,000 scholarship
Sponsor: Pacific Union College English Department.
Eligibility: The contest is open to students currently in grades 9 through 12 (as of March 2026) attending a Seventh-day Adventist academy or junior academy in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.
Submissions
The essay contest begins on March 16, 2026 and the submission deadline (i.e., the last day on which essays will be accepted) is April 16, 2026.
- Essays must respond to this prompt:
“Write about a meaningful memory associated with one of the five senses (taste, touch, smell, sound, sight).” - Essays must total 500 – 750 words
- Only one essay per student may be submitted.
- Hard-copy or late submissions will not be accepted.
Scoring of Qualifying Submissions
The essays will be judged by professors of the Pacific Union College English department. Their decisions will be final.
Grounds for Disqualification
Submitting an essay that:
- Does not comply with these contest rules;
- Is not the student’s original, authored work;
- Provides fake entry information; or
- Plagiarizes content.
All decisions of disqualification will be final.
Recognition
Winners will be announced in an email to all secondary English teachers at academies and junior academies in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah on or before May 2, 2026, as well as shared with the Pacific Union Recorder for potential future publication.
License to Use Essays, Names, and Photographs
Winners will be required to submit a release allowing Pacific Union College to publish their essays in print or on our website. In addition, winners will be asked to provide and authorize use of photographs of themselves for possible use in potential promotion of future essay contests. Winners must also provide a W9 form to receive cash prizes.
Congratulation to last year’s winners!
- 1st place: Luciana Masoni, Monterey Bay Academy (11th Grade)
- 2nd place: Libby Gehrke, PUC Prep (9th Grade)
- 3rd place: Lexine Galita Villanueva, San Gabriel Academy (11th Grade)
For upcoming dates or more information about this contest email pr@puc.edu.