Here comes the top 60 who made it out of thousands of submissions. We congratulate all for their talents and for sharing their stories with us. Winners will be announced from among the top 20 in next few days. Stay tuned!

2019-2020 Essay Contest Shortlist for Top 20

• Becca Lory Hector, “Autism Saved My Life”
• Claire Hool, “Born Worrier or Warrior”
• Laura Kinsey, “Choose Not to Die”
• Hannah Kay, “For My Brother”
• Abdul Basir Talayee, “From War Zone to the World”
• Julie Nguyen, “Lifeline”
• Carla Alva, “Mommy Look, I Can Fly!”
• Ashley Wayne, “Navigating and Overcoming Parenting with Blindness”
• Julian Siminski, “Not a Laughing Matter”
• Inga Buccella, “Notable Cultural Sights”
• Mila Lana, “Oak within the Acorn”
• Bethany Bruno, “One, Two, Cancer’s Coming for You”
• Hannah Vuozzo, “The Snowflake and the Sun”
• Becky Hansen, “Prehysteric Brain”
• Alina Theresa Vetter, “Things I Learned After My Body Shut Down”
• Robin Lloyd-Jones, “The Ascent of Ben Glas”
• Mike Munsil, “The Hater and the Madman”
• Natasha Kirker, “Every Time I Breathe”
• Jan Kaneen, “Voices and Real Monsters”
• Olivia Langford, “We Began as Strangers”

Candidates Who Made into Top 60

• Cath, “Single-parenting My Parents”
• Tina, “The Challenge of Life”
• Amarachi Iwuafor, “Hope Ignited”
• Analiese Batchelor, “And Stars Were Fanned to Leaping Light”
• Bosko Jana, “Love Saves Me”
• Brooke Cannon, “The Challenge of Being Happy”
• Cathy Neal, “Pain, Pain Go Away”
• Cynthia Rossi, “Why Are You”
• Deane Reynolds, “Spring Bulbs”
• Edie Jones, “Remembering 2”
• Emma Pyyhtia, “Dancing My Way Up Mountains”
• Ezra Ahmad, “Life of Social Activist”
• Gabe Levi, “My Granny’s Lessons”
• Guillermo Garcia, “The Challenge of Achieving Happiness and Tranquility in a Country with a Deep Economic and Social Crisis”
• C. Holt, “Life After the Cult”
• Ian Joseph Angel, “The Good Side of the Worst”
• Jes Rasmussen, “My Hand Clicks and That’s Ok”
• Josh K, “Mind Over Mind”
• Joshua Keller, “Searching for a Former Clarity”
• Luleen Anderson, “From Suffering to Transformation”
• M Hall, “The Shaking, The Beating, and the Pressing”
• Marsha Therese Danzig, “Rebel with a Cause: Lessons in Living Large When Serious Illness Strike”
• Melissa McKenzie, “From Pain to Possibility”
• Nancye Rivera, “Running the Race”
• Natalie Hilder, “Overcoming Lies and Choosing Life”
• Nqobile Ngcobo, “Born to Leave a Powerful Mark”
• Obianna Obioma, “When a Lot Depends on You”
• Princess Folajin, “Bottled”
• Rachel Carrington, “Behind My Smile”
• Rachel Hallaron, “The Numbing”
• Robert Korolus, “Living with 2 Handicaps”
• Sara Pross, “Giving Pain a Purpose: The Power of Positive Thinking”
• Sharon Lai, “A Silent Victory of Pen and Paper”
• Shubhankar Reddy, “Overcoming”
• Suzanna Price, “Un-Seizing My Brain”
• Tanya Denisse, “Three Questions”
• Thabang Mnculwane, “Behind Every Challenge Is a Massive Amount of Opportunity”
• Tiwayi Mushambi, “Bloom Where You Are Planted”
• Vicky Oliver, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”
• Vincent Tomeo, “Shadows of a Shoeshine Box”