Home ›   |   Publications ›   |   Essay Contest Winning Entries ›   |   Honorable Mentions

Honorable Mentions

Essay Contest submissions are judged in two rounds. In the first round each essay is read and ranked independently and anonymously by three judges. Only a small fraction of those entries advance to the second round, in which each essay is read and ranked by every judge on the entire panel. The following essays did not win one of the top three  prizes in each division, but they were judged worthy of proceeding into the round of finalists. They are therefore accorded Honorable Mention.

2024 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Peihe Feng, High School Affiliated to South China Normal University, Guangdong, China
    "Beyond Satire: the Hidden Story in Jane Austen’s 'Confined' World"

  • Katherine M. Reddy, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Fairfield, CT
    "Don't Settle for Collins: The Feminist Ideas of Jane Austen"

 

Graduate Division


  • Betsy Roy, Temple University. Philadelphia, PA
    "Austen from an Educator/Social Work Student Perspective"
  • Katherine Tencza, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
    "Austen's Witty, Time-Defying Character Insights in Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion"

 

2023 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Jack M. Buss, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "Love and Lady Luck: How Chance Affects Marital Happiness in Pride and Prejudice" 
  • Julia J. Collins,  University Transition Program, Vancouver,  BC
    "Jane Austen’s Golden Mean of Prudence and Passion"
  • Kayley E. Dorn, Homeschool, Davie, FL
    "Rector, Homewrecker, and Rectified: Mastery of Self as the Key to Courtship in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Sophia L. Hall, Holton-Arms, Bethesda, MD
    "Negotiation Tactics: The Social Performance of Elizabeth Bennet"
  • Anna Iskra, Founders Classical Academy of Corinth, Corinth, TX
    "Ardent Admiration, Acknowledged Truth: The Interplay Between Romance and Practicality in Pride and Prejudice" 
  • Isabelle Hansen, Homeschool, Jacksonville, FL
    "Maturity and Balance: Marriage and Mirth in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Selah J. Hurd, Trinity Classical School, Houston, TX
    "Relationship Essentials: A Marriage of Passion, Practicality, and Perception in Austen’s Characters"
  • Shriya S. Kalluri, Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, MD
    "Optimism Vs. Realism: How Jane Austen Contrasts Idealistic Relationships with Realistic Norms of the Regency Period in Pride and Prejudice to Emulate the Female Struggle for Equal Opportunity"
  • Yushu Li, YK Pao School, Shanghai, China
    “Neither Happy nor Respectable”: The Tragedy of the Three Indifferent Marriages in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Anna M. Lindsay,  Odyssey Academy of Virtual Learning, Ripon,  WI
    "A Study of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Isabelle Ly, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "Third Time’s the Charm: The Trifecta of Marriage Proposals in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Charlotte O’Beirne, Oakcrest School, Vienna, VA
    "Austen’s Realistic Idealism: The Ingredients of a Truly Fulfilling Marriage in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Maia Osborne, Research Triangle High School, Durham, NC
    "Captains of their Souls: Women and Marriage Decisions in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Delaney J. Turk, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "Reading the Ballroom: The Romantic Importance of Dance in Pride and Prejudice"

 

College Division


  • Malika M. Amoruso, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
    "After Happily-Ever-After: Austen’s Recipe for Lasting Marriages in Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion"

 

Graduate Division


  • Ariel S. Drury, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
    "The Business of Marriage: Comparing the Unions of Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park"
  • Elizabeth Wheeler, University of Northwestern-St. Paul, Roseville, MN
    "From Youth to Womanhood: The Seasoning of Jane Austen’s Views on Love and Marriage"

 

2022 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Elizabeth R. Caneday, Homeschool, Forest Lake, MN
    "Secrecy and Suppositions: Realism and Romanticism in Familial Relations"
  • Kevin Chung, Gretchen Whitney High School, Cerritos, CA
    "A Study in Contrasts: Rival Relations Reveal Surprising Similarities"
  • Kayleigh Gallagher, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Fairfield, CT
    "All For Show: The Role of Authenticity in Sense and Sensibility's Family Dynamics"
  • Josiah Kam,  Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Mrs. Jennings and Her Daughters: The Triumph of Substance Over Self-Image"
  • Elise B. Kersten, Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Two Paths to Relative Success: The Dashwood Sisters versus the Steele Sisters"
  • Hannah Shu En Ling, Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice: A Comparison of Marianne Dashwood and Lucy Steele"
  • Corinne L. Nicholls, Albert Einstein High School, Kensington, MD
    "Mother Knows Best: Mothers and Daughters in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility"
  • Elizabeth Shin,  Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Truth and Treachery: How Flawed Masculinity Disrupts an Imperfect Social Order"

College Division


  • Meghan Hanet, Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
    "The Five-Factor Model of Personality Applied to Elinor and Marianne Dashwood"
  • Alphonse Holowczak, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
    "Sense and Sensibility: The Role of Decorum in the Closeness & Distance of Sisterly Bonds"
  • Avery Jones,  Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR
    "The Importance of a Mother: How Mrs. Dashwood was a Role Model for her Daughters"

Graduate Division


  • Lynnea Dale, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
    "Sense and Sensibility Mother Figures in Text and Film"
  • Katelyn E. Davis, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
    "Tempering the Mother: Examining the Mothers and Parenting in Sense and Sensibility"
  • Anna L. Recknagel, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
    "A Balancing Act: How Balance Promotes Happiness in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility"

 

2021 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Daniel W. Choi, Riverdale Country School, Bronx, NY
    "The Pianist and the Boat: How Austen Celebrates Artistic Sensibility in Persuasion"
  • Lily S. Egol, Ranney School, Tinton Falls, NJ
    "Windows into Class and Character: The Art of Austen’s Art"
  • Aroshi A. Ghosh, Leland High School, San Jose, CA
    "Foolish Miss or Sensible Woman: Arts as a Reflection on Character and Social Standing"
  • Therese M. Go, PAREF Southcrest School, Inc., Cebu City, Philippines
    "The Artful and the Artistic: In Defense of Miss Caroline Bingley"
  • Sally Neugarten, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield, CT
    "Dependent in Marriage, Independent in Art: Jane Austen’s Women in Emma and Sense and Sensibility"
    Mentor: Teri Kovacs
  • Vandana Ravi, Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto, CA
    "A Hidden Literary Device: The Pianoforte As a Preserver of Duality in Jane Austen’s Emma"
  • Abbey Shamblin, Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "The Art of Romance: How Jane Austen Uses Art to Symbolize Relationships in Emma and Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Rachel Shamblin, Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "A Certain Step Towards Falling in Love: The Intimacy of Dance in Emma and Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Hannah M. Tully, Homeschool, Vancouver, WA
    "The Dance of Marriage: How Jane Austen Employs the Arts to Discuss Qualities of a Successful Marriage"

College/University Division


  • Piper E. Dutton, Hamline University, St. Paul, MN
    "'All This She Must Possess': On Art and Aesthetic Judgement in Austen"
    Mentor: Kristina Deffenbacher
  • Hannah S. Johnson, University of Texas, Austin, TX
    "Austen and the Picturesque in Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey"
  • Olivia L. Nast, Fordham University, Bronx, NY
    "Artful Characterization in Emma and Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: John Bugg
  • Keyuan Tian, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
    "Transformed Mirrors: Portraits in Jane Austen’s Novels"
  • Alice Tsai, National University of Singapore, Singapore
    "Artistic Exclusivity in Emma and Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Wern Hao See

 

2020 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Clara C. Brodey, East Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill, NC
    “Matriarchy, Matrimony, and Maternity: Villainesses in Lady Susan and Pride and Prejudice
    Mentor: Inger Brodey
  • Catriona R. Fahey, Holy Family Academy, Manchester, NH
    “Austen’s Wicked Widows: Comparing Lady Susan Vernon and Lady Catherine de Bourgh”
  • Archit S. Junnarkar, Cypress Woods High School, Cypress, TX
    “Women and Money: Exploring the Motives of Female Villains in Jane Austen’s Iconic Works”
  • Emma E. Karn, Sacred Heart Academy, Bryn Mawr, PA
    “‘Neither Rational Happiness nor Worldly Prosperity’: The Comeuppance of Female ‘Villains’ in Lady Susan and Pride and Prejudice
  • Rachel Shey, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    “Knight(ley) in Shining Armor: Friendship as a Redeeming Force in Lady Susan and Emma
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Mason E. Stempel, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    “Bad Moms, Not Caricatures of Evil: Lady Susan, Lady Bertram, and Mrs. Bennet as Jane Austen’s Unexpected Villains”
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Leigh G. Stern, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    “Lady Susan and Mary Crawford: Villainous Characteristics Revealed Through Epistles”
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Jacob P. Zampino. Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    “Let Injustice Prevail: The Significance of Jane Austen’s Unpunished Female Villains in Northanger Abbey and Lady Susan
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor

 

College/University Division


  •  Angel Filyaw, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN

    “Villainous Women: Lady Susan and Lucy Steele as Machiavellian Characters”

 

2019 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Alexander P. Bertellini, La Scuola d'Italia Guglielmo Marconi, New York, NY
    "Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey: How Her Critique Reveals the Weaknesses of Reading"
    Mentor: Anthony Martire
  • Eleanor R. Bishop, Home School, Centralia, WA
    “The Good, the Bad, and the Horrid Novels: Literary Mentorship in Northanger Abbey"
    Mentor: Carrie Bishop

  • Leila J. Castillo, Home School, Ave Maria, FL
    “‘The Improvement of Her Mind by Extensive Reading’: Literary Education and the Accomplished Woman in Northanger Abbey"  

  • Katie Fang, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    “Fictional and Functional Reading in Northanger Abbey and Emma
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor

  • Emma L. Harrell, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, MO
    "Reading One’s Character: Novels in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey as a Means to Elucidate Character Traits"

  • Daniel Chun Ernn Kam, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "Reading in Northanger Abbey: 'Originality of Thought, and Literary Taste'"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor

  • Nora M. Olson, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "'Taking the False with the True': Perspective on Literature in Northanger Abbey
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor

  • Vivian H. Pryor, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Ridgeland, MS
    "Northanger Abbey: 'The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid'" 
    Mentor: Carolyn Brown

College/University Division


  • Nora G. Martinez, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
    “In Defense of the Novel-Reading Young Woman: Fiction’s Role in the Enforcement and Surpassing of Gender Conventions in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey
    Mentor: George Justice
  • Jeanna Watson, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL
    “How to Read a (Popular) Book: Lessons on Reading from Catherine Morland and Fanny Price”
     

Graduate School Division


  • Annie L. Lewkowicz, University of Philosophical Research, Los Angeles, CA
    “Reconciling Personal and Social Spheres: Books, Letters and the Theater in Northanger Abbey” 

 

2018 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Emma K. Alexander, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    “A Clash of Values: A Study of Charity in Persuasion
    Mentor: Tynan Stewart
  • Ava L. Allen, DuPont Manual High School, Louisville, KY
    “Surviving the Winter: The Importance of Charity, Faith, and Hope in Persuasion
  • Jalen Buford, Cathedral High School, Indianapolis, IN
    “Balance as True Virtue: Faith, Hope and Charity in Persuasion
  • Victoria L. Carl, Booker T Washington Magnet High School, Montgomery, AL
    “When Life is Worthwhile: Virtue and Its Absence in Jane Austen’s Persuasion
  • Kate Companion, Woodinville High School, Woodinville, WA
    Persuasion: Anne Elliot’s Example of Faith and Hope”
  • Trinity A. H. Delano, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    “The True Strength of Lady Russell’s Charity”
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Greta Dornbirer, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    “‘Perfection Itself’: Anne Elliot’s Superior Character in Jane Austen’s Persuasion
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Kacie F. Kress, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    “Mrs. Clay’s Complexity”
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Rebekah Michniewicz, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    “Misplaced Faith”
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Jiwon Na, Chadwick International School, Incheon, South Korea
    “Hope and Charity in Austen’s Persuasion: Catalysts of a Second Bloom”
  • Joseph D. Petchauer, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    “Faith, Hope, and Charity: A Comparison of Mrs. Clay and Mrs. Smith”
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Kara G. Traffas, Wilsonville High School, Wilsonville, OR
    “All That Glitters is Not Gold: The Truth of Character in Jane Austen’s Persuasion
  • Paramita Vadhahong, Clements High School, Sugar Land, TX
    “The Three-Headed Monster of Persuasion

 

College/University Division 


  • Megan N. Anderson, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
    “Affective Labor as Charity: Anne Elliot in Jane Austen’s Persuasion
  • Jennifer E. Gray, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
    “Loving Longest: A Brief Analysis of Hope, Love, and Malleability in Jane Austen’s Persuasion
    Mentor: Helena Kelly
  • Kathryn H. Homoki, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
    “Seaworthy: Anne’s Faith and Hope on the Ocean of Life”
    Mentor: Jane Kim
  • Rachel E. Thompson, Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL
    “‘Willing to hope’: Mrs. Smith’s Resiliency as Anne’s Inspiration”

 

Graduate School Division


  • Monica Krason, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH
    “Half Agony, Half Tutorial: Persuasion as Captain Wentworth’s Education in the Virtues”
    Mentor: Rachel Carnell
  • Ciara K. Smith, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
    “‘When that Which is Perfect is Come’: Complementing Each Other’s Virtues in Persuasion 

 

2017 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Corinne M. Ebner, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Emma Onscreen: Satire, Suspense, and Sentiment"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Theodora G. Helgason, Millennium High School, New York, NY
    "Austen’s Own Words"
  • Andrew J. Joyner, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "William Price: An Adaptation Necessity"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Emily Kam, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Mansfield Park: Not Just A Love Story" 
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Jessica Lauer, Villa Duchesne High School, St. Louis, MO
    "Transcending Time" 
    Mentor: Elizabeth Yee
  • Margaret Lu, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, Vancouver, BC
    "The Beauty of Gossip in Pride and Prejudice and Emma"
  • Olivia R. Umstead, Hillsdale High School, San Mateo, CA
    "Persuading Modern Readers"
  • Rebeka N. Waite, Mansfield Lake Ridge High School, Mansfield, TX
    "Universal Truths and Witty Banter: Dialogue in Austen’s Works"
    Mentor: Erica Parsons
  • Jenna K. Watson, Heritage Christian Academy, Goleta, CA
    "The Delicacy of Dialogue: A Study of Austen’s Narrative Powers in Persuasion"
  • Lee Younghoon, Seoul Charter International, Seoul, South Korea
    "Re-imagining Persuasion"
  • Allison G. Yuan, Pennsylvania AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Revealing Hidden Thoughts and Growth: Remaining True to Emma"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor


College/University Division 


  • Luke A. Day, Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL
    "The Indispensable Mr. Shepherd: Adapting Jane Austen’s Persuasion"
    Mentor: Kathleen Anderson
  • Rebekah D. Fisher, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
    "Little Things are What Count the Most: Forms of Personal Address in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Bridget K. Lawler, Thomas More College of the Liberal Arts, Merrimack, NH
    "Conversation, Morality, and Romanticism in Sense and Sensibility"
    Mentor: Sara Kitzinger
  • Samantha G. Owen, Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL
    "Uncertain Relationships in Persuasion"
  • Laura K. Verret, Thomas Edison State University, Trenton, NJ
    "Marriage and Romance as Social Behavior in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice"
     

Graduate School Division


  • Ciara Smith, Auburn University, Auburn, GA
    "'It is only a novel!': Difficulties of Adapting Northanger Abbey"
    Mentor: Emily Friedman

 

2016 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Noelle L. Chow, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "A Gradual Education: an Exploration of the Many Teachers in Emma"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Madeleine I. Davis, Davis Homeschool, New Braunfels, TX
    "Education, Class, and the Transcending Quality of True Wisdom in Emma"
    Mentor: Shelley Davis
  • Madison DeBruin, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "Finding Oneself: Self-Actualization as Education in Emma"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Richa Gupta, The International School, Bangalore, Kamataka, India
    "Universality of Moral Edification in Jane Austen’s Emma"
  • Ollyvia Lim, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "Emma: Redefined Educational Values"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Samuel O. Rausch, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "Emma: Education’s Marriage with Matrimony and Society"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Geoffrey A. Robinson, Montdale Homeschool, Moraga, CA
    "Education and Salvation in Emma"
    Mentor: Magdalene Baert
  • Palanki Rupa, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "Education in Emma: A Game of 'Mother May I?'"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Alice Tsai, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore
    "The Ornamental Effect of Education on Girls in Emma
    Mentor: Serene Yeo
  • Alexander Zlokapa, AP Homeschoolers Online Courses, Kittanning, PA
    "Socially Bound: Women’s Education in Emma"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor

College/University Division


  • Pauline C. Harris, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
    "The Paradox of the Educated Woman in Jane Austen’s Emma"
    Mentor: Laura Bloxham
  • Kara Need, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
    "Mentoring into Marriage in Jane Austen’s Emma"
    Mentor: Laura Bloxham
  • Lydia C. Pierson, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
    "Perfect Happiness: Empathy and Emma’s Educational Development"
    Mentor: Laura Bloxham
  • Samantha Starkey, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
    "Touching the Sublime: Emma’s Education of Ethics and Aesthetics"
    Mentor: Laura Bloxham
  • Prashansa Taneja, Bennington College, Bennington, VT
    "'No One But Herself:' Unlearning 'Familiarity' with Mr. Knightley in Emma."
    Mentor: Dr. Brooke Allen
  • Tom Zille, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
    "'As far as she could judge': Emma Woodhouse’s Moral Education and the Concept of Doubt"

Graduate School Division


  • Rebecca Watson, King’s College, London, UK
    "'Faultless in Spite of Her Faults': Class Distinction and Education in Emma"
    Mentor: Sheila Enright

 

2015 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Madsion J. Bauer, Hilton Head Christian Academy, Hilton Head Island, SC
    "Splashed in the Wake of the Regency Period: Social Frustrations Presented through the Characters of Persuasion"
  • Rebecca G. Brewbaker (Tuscaloosa, AL), Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Mansfield Park: the Power of Pressure"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Megan C. Crutcher (Lancaster, PA), Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Coming of Age in Mansfield Park"
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • Matthew E. Dwelle, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Fairfield, CT
    "Knight and Day: The Chivalric Code in Austen’s Emma"
    Mentor: Jenny Ingram
  • Franciska Hauer, St. Louis Park High School, St. Louis Park, MN
    "Elitism and Liberality: The Cultures of Persuasion"
    Mentor: Abhijit Rao
  • Ayano Kitano (Vienna, Austria), Emma Willard School, Troy, NY
    "Redefining Values: The Meaning of Novelty and Superiority in an Ideal Companion"
    Mentor: Kathleen McNamara
  • Ho Jeong Kwon (Seoul, South Korea), St. Paul’s School, Concord, NH
    "The Effects of Inheritance Laws on Characters in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Michelle E. Larsen, Sumner High School, Sumner, WA
    "Internal vs. External Influences: An Analysis of the Character Foils in Persuasion"
    Mentor: Jon Nelson
  • Angela Pham (Perris, CA), Pennsylvania Homeschoolers AP Online Classes, Kittanning, PA
    "Developing Dignity in Mansfield Park" 
    Mentor: Maya Inspektor
  • AnnaClaire Schmiedel, Tall Oaks Classical School, New Castle, DE
    "Friend, Father, Sister, Suitor: Finding Companionship in Persuasion’s Characters"
    Mentor: Stephen Rippon
  • Hurlink Vongsachang, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, CA
    "The Inhibition of Expression"
    Mentor: Heather Marlaire

College/University Division


  • Monica G. Burke, Christendom College, Front Royal, VA
    "'Give a Girl an Education': The Societal Effects of Education in Mansfield Park"
  • Noah C. Chauvin, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY
    "Companionate and submissive relationships with military officers in Jane Austen’s novels"
    Mentor: Celia Easton
  • Stephanie Diehl,  Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA
    "'. . . it is not merely the name of an Arbour, which charms me': Private Spaces in Jane Austen’s Green World"
    Mentor: Elizabeth Veisz
  • Rachel Fobar (LaPalma, CA), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
    "Between Independence and Reliance"
  • Zoe M. Ginsberg (Westport, CT), Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
    "Interior and Interiority: A Study of Space in Jane Austen’s Persuasion"
  • John B. Hilman, Dalhouse University, Halifax, NS
    "'Not a man who would set the Thames on fire': Sir Walter Elliot and the Trials of the Landed Gentry in Post-War England"
    Mentor: Shannon Bridger
  • Christopher Volk, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
    "Sense and Sensibility and Lady Susan: Austen’s Pragmatic Approach to The Ethics of Deception"
    Mentor: Laura Bloxham
  • Katherine Waltar, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
    "Gratitude and Esteem: Integration of Money and Love in Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Laura Bloxham
  • Rebecca Wojsnis, CUNY Macaulay Honors College at Queens College, Flushing, NY
    "Embracing Gender: An Exploration of the Power of Femininity in Pride and Prejudice"
  • Tom Zille, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
    "'Five Dull Hours in Another Man’s House': The Dinner Party and its Alternatives in Jane Austen’s Novels"

Graduate School Division


  • Lauren Howes (Lancaster, PA), University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, VA:
    "Mansfield Park: A World of Consequence"
  • Annica Tehim, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
    "The Madwoman in the Ballroom"  

 

2014 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Rose N. Favino, Delaware County Christian School, Newtown Square, PA
    "Silence Speaks Volumes in Mansfield Park"
  • Hannah MC Fish, Kodiak High School, Kodiak, AK
    "Overcoming Social and Moral Obligations"
    Mentor: Benjamin Jackson
  • Stephanie C. Hilker, Haslett High School, Haslett, MI
    "Fanny Price in Mansfield Park: From Silent Bondage to Confident Speech"
    Mentor: Kathryn Davis
  • Kathryn H. Homoki, The Classical Academy: College Pathways, Colorado Springs, CO
    "Silent Shouts: Characters Revealed through Fanny’s Silence"
  • Olivia B. Leslie, Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights, OH
    "Silence in Mansfield Park: Edmund’s Role in Silencing Fanny"
    Mentor: Elizabeth Armstrong
  • Emily K. Murphy, Trinity High School, Manchester, NH
    "Muted Morals: Silence and Reflection in Mansfield Park"
    Mentor: Marie Salvas
  • Elsie Platzer, Stanton College Preparatory School, Jacksonville, FL
    "Silence in Mansfield Park: A New Morality"
    Mentor: Faith Dickens
  • Sarah E. Talbott, South Forsyth High School, Cumming, GA
    "The Impact of Silence: Silence in Character Development and Plot in Mansfield Park"
    Mentor: Angela Satterfield
  • David G. Yaffe-Bellany, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, Plainsboro, NJ
    "'Quiet Auditor of the Whole': The Isolation of Mansfield Park’s Fanny Price"


College/University Division


  • Clare B. Chiappetta, Our Lady of the Lake College, Baton Rouge, LA
    "The Luxury of Silence: Silence vs. the Pursuit of Luxury in Mansfield Park"
    Mentor: Sharon Tohline
  • Tricia M. Light, Scripps College, Claremont, CA
    "Sabotaged by Silence: Jane Austen’s Differentiation Between Subtlety and Deception in Mansfield Park"
  • Elena N. Valeriote, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
    "Emotion that can’t be 'clothed in words': The Sincerity of Silence in Mansfield Park"
    Mentor: Hilary Schor
  • Tom Zille, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
    "Protean Silence in Mansfield Park"  
    Mentor: Verena Lobsien

Graduate School Division


  • Caitlin D. Turner, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS
    "'With silent indignation': Fanny’s Subversive Quiet in Mansfield Park"
    Mentor: Susan Allen Ford

 

2013 Honorable Mention Essays | Show Details Hide Details

High School Division


  • Sydney L. Bertino, Home School (Venture Academy), Tyler, TX
    "Time and Character Intertwined"
    Mentor: Dana Bertino
  • Laura E. Collins, Villa Duchesne, St. Louis, MO
    "Timing Is Everything: The Importance of Opportunity, Intention, and Fate"  
    Mentor: Parents
  • Meghan Grojean, Villa Duchesne, St. Louis, MO
    "Austen’s Letters: How Limitations of the Time Affected the Culture of Relationships"
    Mentor: Elizabeth Yee
  • Julie M. Lew, Homeschool, Los Angeles, CA
    "Timetabling Happiness"
    Mentor: Laura Lew
  • Tatiana Morand, Académie Catholique Ange-Gabriel, Brockville, Ontario Canada
    "Flowers, Chocolate, and Clocks; the Role of Timing in Romance"  
    Mentor: Jacie Morand
  • Unjoo M. Oh, Home School, Gimpo, Gyeonggido, South Korea
    "Time in Relation to Romance and Marriage—Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Lilianna Meldrum Serbicki
  • Megan M. Pohl, Villa Duchesne, St. Louis, MO
    "Pride and Prejudice and Perceptions: a Study of the Jane Austen Female Motif"
    Mentor: Kathy Pohl
  • Madeline C. Smith, Smith Academy Homeschool, Columbia, SC
    "Time Will Tell: Lessons From Austen in Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Nicole Smith
  • Chloe R. Wiggins, Lower Moreland High School, Huntingdon Valley, PA
    "Time: Relationships and Reform in Pride and Prejudice"

College/University Division


  • S. Olivia Anderson, Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL
    "The Timing of Transforming Chastisement"
  • Conny L. Fasshauer, Chapman University, Orange, CA
    "Charlotte’s Chance at Happiness: The Lasting Power of the Marriage of Convenience"
    Mentor: Dr. Lynda Hall
  • Caitlyn D. Girardi, Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL
    "Elizabeth: Creature of the Wild"  
    Mentor: Dr. Kathleen Anderson
  • Monica M. Krason, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, OH
    "'Let it be For Yourself Alone': Personal Choice as the Barometer for Timeliness in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice"
  • Atalia L. Lopez, Chapman University, Orange, CA
    "Not So 'Timeless': The Seasonality of Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Dr. Lynda Hall
  • Mary E. Pinkes, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
    "Truths Temporally Acknowledged: The Moral Timing of Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Constance Myers-Kelly
  • Lydia J. Saldanha, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI
    "A Change of Heart: The Effects of Time, Experience and Attitude on the Sentiments of Austen’s Characters"
  • Mindy M. Sansoucie, Webster University, St. Louis, MO
    "Love Comes Second: The Gender-Lens on Time in Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Sheila Hwang
  • Theresa B. Sauer, Canisius College, Buffalo, NY
    "Time and Timelessness: Pride and Prejudice"
    Mentor: Dr. Amy Wolf
  • Marina M. Shugrue, Chapman University, Orange, CA
    "Timing in Pride and Prejudice"  
    Mentor: Dr. Lynda Hall
  • Jessica M. Whitman, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
    "Time as a Predictor of Maturation: Understanding the Evolution of Jane Austen’s Men in Pride and Prejudice"

 

Graduate School Division


  • Vicki M. Kohl
    "Resisting the Pressure of Time in Pride and Prejudice"

 

“. . . from politics, it was an easy step to silence.”

Northanger Abbey