SALT LAKE CITY–Social media can be intimidating, with flashy, short-form content that is designed to grab attention and get clicks. With a near-infinite amount of information at the touch of a button, it’s hard to tell what is truth and what is fiction. In addition, name-calling, hostility, and polarization are common in online spaces and in our current political climate, leaving little room for nuance and dialogue. That’s why Westminster University’s Honors College aims to be part of the solution with the annual Utah High School Essay Contest on Civility in Politics and Public Life.
The contest, sponsored by the Honors College and generously underwritten by WCF Insurance, encourages teens to write about a prompt relating to a current political issue using facts and their own experiences. After submission, essays are judged by a bipartisan panel of prominent Utah republicans, democrats, and independents. The winning essay receives an award of $2,000, with $500 cash prizes for 2-3 runner-ups.
Now on its 10th year, the essay contest continues to represent the values and practices of Westminster University’s Honors College. Dr. Alicia Cunningham-Bryant, dean of the Honors College, spoke about the enduring value of the essay contest.
“Our Honors College was built on the conviction that a strong community and a better future depend on people with the courage to think for themselves and the generosity to hear someone else out. This contest asks Utah high school students to do precisely that, and its purpose has only grown more urgent. Their essays remind us that disagreement, handled with rigor and respect, is not a threat to a community. It is what holds one together.”
Last year’s 2025-26 contest saw submissions from 524 Utah high school students representing 67 schools on the topic of AI use in classrooms. The winning essay was written by Abigail Kelly, a junior at Northridge High School in Layton. Abigail argued that schools should teach students how to critically engage with AI, rather than shield them from it.
“The real test of academic integrity in the age of AI isn’t whether students can avoid using it, it’s whether they can use it without losing themselves. If schools can teach us how to write essays, solve equations and cite sources, they can teach us how to collaborate ethically with the most powerful learning tool of our time. Because the future of education isn’t about learning against AI, it’s about learning alongside it,” she says.
In addition to taking home the winning scholarship, Abigail’s essay was published in the Salt Lake Tribune, a tradition that the Tribune has upheld for all essay winners since the contest’s inception.
At the 2025-26 contest awards ceremony, Westminster University President Beth Dobkin surprised all 20 Civility Essay Contest finalists by granting each of them a $1,000 scholarship for their college education. She also spoke about the value of a Westminster education in the context of A.I. and political polarization.
“I’m fond of saying that a Westminster education gives students the freedom to think, the wisdom to know, and the agency to act. The freedom to think means seeking multiple sources of information, examining all ideas, and uncovering and testing assumptions.”
Westminster University’s Honors College–one of only 2 honors colleges in Utah–is designed around constructive conversation and collaborative learning, offering a distinctive course of study for academically and intellectually prepared students who want to challenge themselves within a supportive environment. Learn more about the Honors College and the Civility Essay Contest.
Abigail Kelly, a junior at Northridge High School and the 2025-26 contest winner.
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