The Equity Center, the Karsh Institute of Democracy and a panel of expert judges have selected the winners of the “Voices of Democracy: What Democracy Means to Me” writing contest, which was open to 6th through 12th-grade students enrolled in public, private, or homeschool programs in Charlottesville City or Albemarle County. Participants were invited to submit poetry or prose exploring their personal reflections on democracy. The winners were selected from three age groups: 6th to 8th graders, 9th to 10th graders and 11th to 12th graders.
The six winners and honorable mentions selected from 42 submissions by the panel of judges were:
Grades 6 through 8
Winner: Aanya Sonkusare, Joseph T. Henley Middle School, Grade 8
Grades 9 and 10
Winner: Liv Cordano, Charlottesville High School, Grade 9
Grades 11 and 12
Winner: Eleanor "Nori" Carter, St. Anne’s-Belfield School, Grade 11
Honorable Mentions
Amerson-Joi "AJ" Wright, Jackson P. Burley Middle School, Grade 8
Halil Stinnie, Journey Middle School, Grade 8
Max Harris, Western Albemarle High School, Grade 9
In addition to the recognition, two winners will receive $50 each, and the overall contest winner’s piece will be read by UVA graduate Jessiah Lucien at a Karsh Institute of Democracy reception on October 17th at UVA’s Rotunda. The overall winner will also receive a $500 prize, and the runner-up will receive a $250 prize.
The slate of contest judges were: Eileen Chou from the Frank Batten School at UVA, Josh Harris, a UVA alum, Rayne Macphee from the Roanoke Valley Juvenile Detention Center, Larry Roberts from the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, Graham Page from the Albemarle County Public School Board, Price Thomas from City of Promise, Stephanie D. Van Hover from the UVA School of Education and Human Development, Karen Waters from Albemarle County Public Schools and Ben Wilkes from the United Way of Greater Charlottesville. Judges noted that the essays for submitted for this contest have showcased the incredible talent and thoughtfulness of the young people and that the submissions were so high quality that they added an unplanned honorable mention category.
In their essays, students reflected on how democracy impacted their daily lives and the lives of their loved ones and shared their hopes and aspirations for democracy. In addition to the 42 essay contest submissions, many educators in Charlottesville and Albemarle County used the prompts from the essay contest as an instructional tool for students to analyze their own lives and identify areas where democracy has been a factor. While many of those essays were not submitted to the contest, educators and students alike shared that it was a dynamic tool for their classroom.
The contest commemorates the groundbreaking of the new Karsh Institute of Democracy building, slated to open in late 2026.
For more information on the contest, please contact:
Anna Whitlow
Karsh Institute of Democracy
annawhitlow@virginia.edu
https://karshinstitute.virginia.edu
Sydney Shuler
Communications Specialist
The Equity Center
vrh7de@virginia.edu
https://www.virginiaequitycenter.org/
About the Equity Center:
Founded in 2019, the Center for the Redress of Inequity through Community-Engaged Scholarship (aka, The Equity Center) grows out of many years of social justice advocacy and groundbreaking work by individuals and organizations who have long called on the University of Virginia to address racism and inequity. We seek to advance a transformative approach to UVA’s research mission and to reform institutional values, pedagogy, and operations—in doing so, we will be a model for other universities seeking to promote equity and justice.
For more information, visit The Equity Center website.
About the Karsh Institute of Democracy
The Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia is a leading center dedicated to understanding and promoting the principles of democracy. Through interdisciplinary research, public engagement, and partnerships, the Institute works to align democratic ideals with societal realities. For more information, visit The Karsh Institute of Democracy website.
