MindSpeak Winning Essay Gallery
Your Voice Matters – Speak Your Mind!
Explore the winning essays from our New Jersey middle and high school student MindSpeak submissions!
Middle School
Srikala Lanka
8th grade
Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School(TEECS)
Franklin Township, NJ
Warren Sanuhath Pinnawalage
7th grade
Nicholas J Sacco Junior High School
North Bergen, NJ
High School
Zaynab Shafi
11th grade
Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School(TEECS)
Franklin Township, NJ
Maryam Shafi
12th grade
Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School(TEECS)
Franklin Township, NJ
Middle School
High School
Middle School
High School
Essay Guidelines
> Topic
Exploration of youth mental health and its impact.
> Format
Write an original essay. Your essay may include original research, poetry, and creative writing (personal/fictional).
- word limit: 1000 words, no identifying info in the essay body (must be anonymous for judging)
- media: no photos or graphics
- references: must be appropriately cited
- font: Times New Roman, 12pt, single-spaced
- file: PDF
> Sample Prompt Ideas
Below are some examples to help spark ideas for your own essay topics:
- What affects your mental well‑being and how do you cope?
- How does social media shape your mental health?
- What would a culture of mental wellness look like in your school or town?
Competition Details
> Eligibility
Middle School (grades 6–8), High School (grades 9–12), public, private, charter, or homeschool students enrolled in the state of New Jersey
Evaluation Rubric
> Point Categories
Entries will be evaluated based on creativity, impact, relevance, and their potential to spark meaningful discussions.
Prizes
Gold
$500
Silver
$300
Bronze
$100
+ a letter of Recognition from United States Senator Andy Kim for ALL winners
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who judges the essays ?
The essays will be evaluated by a Judges Panel consisting of a Middle School English Teacher, a High School English Teacher, a High School Psychologist and an adolescent Clinical Psychologist. Each judge will be from a different school district in NJ.
How are the essays evaluated?
The Judges Panel will be given a rubric and each of them will assign the points to each entry based on the rubric. The score averages will decide the ranking.
Do the judges see the participant's name?
The Judges will not see the participant names and it will be anonymized to enable a bias free evaluation.
Can one student write two entries?
No. If they do, only the first entry will be considered valid.
Can students work in groups?
No. The essay entry is individualized.