The winners are:

Jim Miller, Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, AR

Deborah Ghim, Buffalo Grove HS, Chicago, IL

Each winning essay will be published in a special youth issue of The Nation in early November. All of the finalists will be published at TheNation.com on Thursday, November 5.

The finalists are:

College:

Ophelia Hu, Amherst College Jeanette Blalock-Davis, University of Minnesota Michael Cohen, College of Staten Island Jacob Stokes, University of Missouri

High School:

Christine Chang, Monta Vista HS, Cupertino, CA Eric Siguenza, San Fernando HS, Sun Valley, CA Aleena Durrani, Winston Churchill HS, Potomac, MD Christopher Criswell, Austin HS, Austin, TX

Thanks to the BIL Charitable Trust for generously making this contest possible.