On April 3, 2014, the Gulen Institute Youth Platform held an award ceremony for its 4th annual International High School Essay Contest at the Rayburn Building in Washington, D.C. The event brought together students from several continents and very diverse backgrounds. A total of 23 countries were represented. Over 600 essays from 22 states in the U.S. and from 40 countries, including North America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, Central Asia, South America, Australia and Papua New Guinea, around the world were submitted earlier this year. Thirty winners were selected and were awarded a three-day trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the award ceremony on April 3rd.
This year’s contest topic centered on the role played by state and non-profit organizations in the education of disadvantaged youth who are not realizing their full potential. Jena Luedtke, Director of Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue at the Rumi Forum, was the emcee of the event.
The winners went on to present their essays to their peers and the distinguished guests. Angelia Ysobel Miranda, a homeschooled 10th grader from Washington state, took first place with her essay, entitled “Interconnectedness in School Reform: Integrating the Uniqueness of Each Child.” Chae Yoon Yang, a 10th grader from the Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies, South Korea, came second in the competition with her essay, entitled “In Pursuit of Prestige: Scholastic Struggles, Sacrifices and Successes.” Raymond Gachugi, a 12th grader from Alliance High School in Kenya, took 3rd place with his essay, entitled “Involving Parents in Education: Role of the Kenya Government and Non-Profit Agencies.”
Distinguished guests to the awards ceremony included U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (IA), U.S. Congressman Gene Green (TX), U.S. Congressman Rush D. Holt, Jr. (NJ), H.E. Liberata Mulamula the Ambassador of Tanzania and H.E. Seydou Bouda the Ambassador of Burkina Faso, in addition to diplomatic staff from the respective Embassies of the Philippines, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Pakistan, Thailand, Kenya, India and South Africa. Staff from the Turkic American Alliance (TAA), the Rumi Forum and the Gulen Institute also attended this wonderful event.
To cap off the award ceremony, teachers of the top 15-placed students also received awards for their dedication to guiding and mentoring students in their respective countries.
As part of their 3-day trip, the students visited the nation’s capital and toured its monuments and museums. The group also attended Rumi Forum’s conference on “Education and the State of the Future: Critical Issues facing children,” which took place at Georgetown University.
The Gulen Youth Platform is an international essay contest annually organized by the Gulen Institute at the University of Houston. It is an initiative developed to encourage and inspire high school students from all over the world to think critically, challenge themselves and others to find sustainable solutions to the fundamental problems of humanity, while promoting mutual understanding, respect and cooperation, and is open to all high school students enrolled in public or private schools from the U.S. and all over the world. Established in 2007, the Gulen Institute is a non-profit research organization that encourages peace and civic welfare by advancing academic work in areas of education, poverty, conflict resolution. The Institute is a joint initiative between the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston and the Institute of Interfaith Dialog. Feel free to check out its website at www.gulenyouthplatform.org.
In the words of the renowned Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen, “A young person is a sapling of power, strength and intelligence. If trained and educated properly, he or she can become a ‘hero’ overcoming obstacles and acquire a mind that promises enlightenment to hearts and order to the world.”
