2026 college student essay honorable mentions
Alfred Conway
Because faith lacks realism, it warrants boundless power to justify unscrupulous actions and sow division. Conservative ideals have been politically manipulated via religious rationale to dredge up antiquated views that have stifled the progress of our nation. . . The Founders of this nation knew that religion could easily be taken to an extreme. They fundamentally grasped this concept which moved them to establish limits on the power of these institutions.
Alfred, 19, attends George Mason University and is majoring in marketing.
Katherine Chow
More than once has President Trump tried to promote the idea of religion and God on not just Americans, but our government. These seemingly harmless words by Trump pose an extreme threat to our government and lives as American citizens. . . . Trump’s stance on religion is extremely threatening to our governmental systems. Pro-Christian ideologies can already be seen within our new policies regarding limiting abortion access and appointing Christian judicial nominees that uphold “traditional” Christian values. .
Katherine, 19, attends New York University and is majoring in biology.
Mason Gutierrez
There are countries today that lack a dominating religious belief that succeed nonetheless. Countries like Singapore, Japan and the United Kingdom don’t have a focus on religion, but here’s the kicker: Their education and economy outperform every other country in the world. . . America is made up of many different groups and people, and forcing everyone to be the same never works. However, diversity allows the country to be strong.
Mason, 19, attends Northern Arizona University and is majoring in mechanical engineering.
Rowen Hamilton
President Trump’s comments are untenable, unacceptable and un-American. Now, more than ever, I believe that division and hate cannot beckon us away from confronting our shared future. We must recognize that our love for the rights of all people is the grounding principle of our collective prosperity. During the American Revolution, John Dickinson made the choice clear: United we stand or divided we fall. As pioneers of freedom and opportunity, we owe the blessings of liberty to both theists and atheists alike.
Rowen, 21, attends the University of Texas and is majoring in government.
Jeremiah Jefferson
In a classical experiment, called “The Good Samaritan Study,” researchers observed whether religion determined if participants would stop and help someone injured and in need. The conclusion of the study was that “religiosity played no role in helping behavior, even when participants were on their way to deliver a talk on the parable of the good Samaritan.” This supports the idea that morality is not dependent on religion.
Jeremiah, 20, attends College of Wooster and is majoring in business economics.
Layide Ogunse
Trump’s claim is proven wrong when you look at some of the most prosperous countries of today. Countries with the least religious affiliation constantly rank the highest in happiness, health care, education and quality of life, with a large majority of their populace abstaining from religious practices. Their success as a country isn’t due to their religious inclusion in their government but the nation’s focus on effective institutions, civic responsibility, education and human rights.
Layide, 20, attends Minnesota State University, Mankato and is majoring in education.
Sapien Saldivar
The Trump quote that really bothered me most: “And you’re all believers. I think, Paula [White], you wouldn’t have invited people that — is there an atheist in the room? Any atheists? I don’t think so. I wouldn’t want to raise my hand if I were you. I’d be in big trouble now. ”
“I wouldn’t want to raise my hand if I were you. I’d be in big trouble now.” That is almost a textbook example of religious persecution. You can’t have a great country where that is a prevailing philosophy.
Sapien, 20, attends University of Texas and is majoring in computer science.
Aimee Vega
The extreme biases that nonreligious people are “less moral” leads to civil rights violations and discriminatory actions that hide behind religious morality. . . . As an ethnic minority and a woman, I find it appalling that my reproductive rights are being stripped away, my community is under the threat of deportation and we are the objects of prejudice based purely on appearance. I believe using morality based on religion disrespects itself and its core beliefs of love.
Aimee, 20, attends Purdue University and is majoring in aerospace engineering.
