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Civility Scholars High School Essay Contest

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The 10th Annual Civility Essay Contest

The Civility Essay Contest has been running for 10 years and keeps growing—524 entries were submitted in 2025. The annual non-partisan writing competition is designated for Utah high school students, grades 9–12.

You’ll write a 600-word essay answering one question about civility in public life. Finalists have represented a range of political beliefs. The contest is about learning to think independently, hear new opinions, and disagree well through conversation.  

Make an Impression

Being a Civility Essay Content finalist is the kind of concrete, verifiable win that admissions offices notice—proof of initiative and writing chops, backed by an outside institution. You’re building the kind of skills national fellowships, grad programs, and job recruiters are looking for.

Finalists are eligible to join the Civility Scholars Program, a leadership program through Westminster’s Honors College. Being a Civility Scholar opens doors—you’ll be able to:

  • Access the Fellowship Advising Office, a Gilman Top Producer that’s helped students land Fulbright, Marshall, Truman, and NSF awards
  • Become a Civility Fellow and help read entries for the contest
  • Step up as a Civility Scholar Peer Mentor, trained to facilitate tough conversations and to take on a campus leadership role
  • Earn a $1,000 scholarship to Westminster University
  • Have a published essay to share with potential grad schools or employers

As a finalist, your essay will be published in Voices of Civility so you can link to or cite it. Plus, you’ll gain a statewide recognition that stands out on your resume or CV. Win, and you could be published in the Salt Lake Tribune, too. 

Prize Tiers

Finalists

20 students

$1,000 scholarship to Westminster University, plus your essay published in Voices of Civility

Honorable Mentions

2 students

$500 cash prize

Winner

1 student

$2,000 cash prize, plus a chance to have your essay published in the Salt Lake Tribune

Submission Guidelines

Share Your Voice. Change the Conversation.

To enter the Civility Essay Contest, you'll need to:

  • Be a Utah high school student, grades 9–12
  • Write an essay of 600 words or fewer, answering this year's prompt
  • Submit your essay Sept. 1, 2026–Dec. 1, 2026

SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY

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This Year’s Prompt

When this contest began 10 years ago, Americans were already worried that political division was tearing the country apart. A decade later, after presidential elections, ongoing debates over free speech and political violence, and sharp disagreement over the role of government itself, that worry has only grown.

Drawing on your own experience over the past year, write an essay (600 words or fewer) that identifies one specific issue where you believe Americans are losing the ability to talk to one another, takes a position on what is making that conversation so hard, and argues what your generation must learn to do—or stop doing—to make constructive disagreement possible.

Submissions identified as AI-generated will be disqualified. 

Past Winners

Read Winning Essays. Get Inspired.

Voices of Civility

Essay excerpts from last year’s contest. 

On the future we choose

"If Dickens were writing today, he might say education faces its own turning point. We can fear new tools or choose to use them wisely. AI won't replace the human connections that make school meaningful, but it can strengthen them."

Brigham Heywood
Cyprus High School

On the magic in the making

"In classrooms and kitchens, there is a magic in the process of creation, let's claim it."

Grace Scoville
Woods Cross High School

On the help I didn't ask for

"My question history is blank, and I am a better writer because of it.”

Emery Lieberman
Rowland Hall

Distinguished Judges Panel

The contest is judged by a non-partisan panel of prominent Utah Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. 

Kim T Adamson (’79) is a trustee of Westminster University. She received her bachelor's degree from Westminster in 1979 and is one of the university's most loyal supporters, donors, and volunteers. Kim entered the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1974 and retired in May 2013 as a chief warrant officer 5, having served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. She has also served as a law enforcement officer, specializing in mountain and swift water rescue operations, wilderness medicine, and hazardous materials operations. In addition to her career with the U.S. Marine Corps, Kim is currently an Inactive Utah Senior Justice Court Judge.

Kate Bradshaw (’03) is a graduate of Westminster University with a bachelor of arts degree in history and an Honors degree. While a student at Westminster, Kate was a member of the women's volleyball and basketball teams and a very lonely, possibly the only, member of the Westminster University Republicans Club. She is a past chair of the university's Alumni Board of Directors where she served for 6 years. Politically, she has been engaged in civic service for several years on the Bountiful city council and in 2025  was elected  Mayor of Bountiful, Utah. Professionally, Kate is the engaged in providing government relations services where she assists clients with business concerns and issues before the Utah State Legislature, governor,  and state agencies. For over 20 years, Kate has been deeply involved in government and public relations, campaign strategy, PAC fundraising, and media relations in Utah.

Chris Cunningham (’15) works in federal government affairs and health care policy for Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. He previously worked in government relations for Boehringer Ingelheim and California Life Sciences and spent more than six years on Capitol Hill working for four members of Congress, including Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT), advising legislators on domestic policy. Chris earned his Bachelor of Science in economics and finance with an Honors degree at Westminster. He lives in Washington, DC and previously served as president of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association.

Alicia Cunningham-Bryant, PhD, is the dean of the Honors College and the Kim T. Adamson Chair at Westminster University. An award-winning researcher and educator, she earned her PhD from Yale University and travels around the country presenting on fostering student success. She is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), has published research in the Journal of the NCHC and is a 2026-2027 HERS-Mellon Leader Fellow.

Tamara N. Stevenson, EdD, is vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Westminster University. With more than 25 years of experience, she integrates scholarship, leadership, and practice across organizational culture, strategic communication, equitable policy, and strategic foresight. A first-generation college graduate from Detroit, Dr. Stevenson holds doctoral and specialist degrees in educational leadership, a master’s in organizational communication, and a bachelor’s in journalism. A first-generation college graduate from Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Stevenson holds doctoral and specialist degrees in educational leadership, along with a master’s in organizational communication and a bachelor’s in journalism. She is a 2025–26 American Council on Education Fellow and serves on the boards of YWCA Utah and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE).

Taylor Stevens (’18) is an investigative reporter at FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City, a station owned by the E.W. Scripps Company. Before trying her hand at broadcast news, she worked as a freelance reporter on the “Lethal Restraint” project, a 3-year investigation by the Associated Press’ Global Investigations Team into police force that wasn't meant to kill. That project received an Edward R. Murrow award in the "News Series" category in 2025 and was also a finalist the same year for the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative reporting. Taylor also spent nearly 5 years working as a government and politics reporter at The Salt Lake Tribune. She holds a master’s of investigative journalism from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a bachelor’s of arts in communication from Westminster University. While at Westminster, she was an involved member of the Honors College and served for 2 years as the editor-in-chief of The Forum, the university's student-run news organization.