High School Essay Contest
March 16 to April 16, 2026
Emerging Voices of the Pacific Union
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.
2026 Contest Winners
- 1st Place: Boi Dinh (Daisy) Quan, 11th Grade, San Gabriel Academy
- 2nd Place: Valerie Quirarte, 12th Grade, Pine Hills Adventist Academy
- 3rd Place: Yeseina Tarango, 12th Grade, San Gabriel Academy
Honorable Mentions/Finalists
- Winter Jobelle 10th San Gabriel Academy
- Jiayun Wei 10th San Gabriel Academy
- Jenna Rosaasen 11th Newbury Park Adventist Academy
- Emily Escamilla 11th Pine Hills Adventist Academy
- Claire Hunter 12th Pine Hills Adventist Academy
- Hudson Lowe 12th Pine Hills Adventist Academy
- Vanessa Ponce de Leon 10th Newbury Park Adventist Academy
- Kiara Jin 10th Sacramento Adventist Academy
- Kylie Koh 9th Pine Hills Adventist Academy
- Ethan Wilkinson 12th Pine Hills Adventist Academy
- TzuNuo Chao 12th Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy
- Chanedjl Mendoza 9th Pine Hills Adventist Academy
- Audrey Lockwood 10th Pine Hills Adventist Academy
- Stacie Dassie 12th Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy
- Leah Morphis 11th Grade Rio Lindo Adventist Academy
2025 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.