Alabama
Ms. Celeste Fortenberry
"A Breach of Peace"
Mountain View Baptist School
Pinson, AL
Coordinator: Ms. Cathy Fortenberry

Celeste is a senior at Mountain View Baptist School in Birmingham, Alabama. She is actively involved in her church youth group. In high school, Celeste has participated in volleyball, basketball and cheer-leading. She enjoys playing the piano and singing and plans to major in music next year at Ambassador Baptist College.

[ Back to top ]

 
Alaska
Ms. Alicia Lane
"An Examination of the Justification of Two Wars"
A.J. Dimond High School
Anchorage, AK
Coordinator: Mr. Greg Brown

Alicia is a sophomore honor student at A.J. Dimond High School in Anchorage, Alaska. She is a member of the National Honor Society and was nominated to be a National Scholar representing Alaska at the National Young Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. this summer, which she plans to attend. She participates in the Japan Club at her high school and has received a full-ride merit scholarship through Youth for Understanding for a home stay in Japan. Alicia competes in the World Language Competition in Japanese, and took first place in Dialogue at both Regional and State competitions, second place in Impromptu Speaking at the Regional competition, and third place in Poetry Recitation at both Regional and State competition. She has also lettered academically, plays oboe, piano, and takes tennis and Irish dancing lessons. She enjoys listening to music, reading, drawing, writing, and spending time with friends and family. After high school, Alicia plans to attend college.

[ Back to top ]

 
Arizona
Ms. Krista A. Sarin
"The Reality of War: A Manipulation of Justifications"
Xavier College Prep
Phoenix, AZ
Coordinator: Ms. Christine Weglarz

Krista is an honor student at Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona, and is completing her junior year. Her passion for social justice is reflected in the committees she has been involved with throughout high school: Political Action Committee of Xavier, Students for Social Action, and Unity in Diversity. She volunteers for the World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Task-force and enjoys serving on the Pierian Spring art and poetry publication at her school. Krista loves photography, painting, reading, and keeping up with current social issues. She looks forward to attending a small liberal arts college where she can pursue her wide range of interests.

[ Back to top ]

 
Arkansas
Mr. Will Schmidley
"The Afghan Conflict and the Spanish American War: A Study in Just War Contrasts"
Pulaski Academy
Little Rock, AR
Coordinators: Mr. William Topich & Ms. Ginger Kidd

Will Schmidley lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, with his parents, and is a student at Pulaski Academy, an independent college preparatory school in Little Rock. He hopes to attend a college that combines excellent academics and a competitive baseball program. Will plays shortstop on Pulaski Academy's state AAA championship baseball team. He was named to the All Arkansas Super Sophomore team after the 2002 high school season and was named to the All-Conference team in 2002 and 2003. In the summer, Will plays American Legion baseball; he was named to the Legion All Star and All Tournament teams in 2002. Will has been active in National History Day since junior high. A classmate and he won the state Junior High Division in 2000 and earned a trip to Maryland for the national competition. The two took third place in the Senior High Division in 2002. During the summer of 2002, Will worked as a volunteer in a research laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He plans to do so again this summer. Will is a National Merit Semifinalist. He competed as a finalist in the Arkansas Mathematics Teachers Competition, Spring 2002. He is a member of the National Honor Society, and the National Spanish Honor Society.

[ Back to top ]

 
California
Mr. Kevin Kiley
"Kuwait and Kosovo: The Harm Principle and Humanitarian War"
Granite Bay High School
Granite Bay, CA
Coordinator: Ms. Rita Prichard

Kevin is currently a senior at Granite Bay High School, near Sacramento, California. Throughout high school, Kevin has been involved in the school's speech and debate program, participating in such events as the Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Extemporaneous Speaking. Kevin has competed in the California Speech Championship for three consecutive years and has attended the National Tournament twice. Kevin has also served as both writer and editor for the high school newspaper, and has played on the varsity tennis team for four years. In the fall, Kevin will be matriculating at Harvard College, where he will likely concentrate in government.

[ Back to top ]

 
Colorado
Ms. Michelle Box
"When Is War Justified?"
Gateway High School
Aurora, CO
Coordinator: Ms. Mary Lou Iverson

Michelle is an honor student at Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado. She competed in gymnastics for 7 years and went overseas to perform at a Sports festival. She lettered 2 years in high school gymnastics and also in academics. She is involved with the Link Leaders program at her high school and lettered for this activity as well. Michelle also participates in the National Honor Society. She teaches gymnastics and works a second job. Michelle plans to attend the University of Colorado - Boulder in the fall of 2004.

[ Back to top ]

 
Connecticut
Ms. Katelyn Jennings
"Justice and War: A Lasting Dilemma"
Windsor High School
Windsor, CT
Coordinator: Ms. Diane Van Ausdall

Katelyn is a junior at Windsor High School in Windsor, Connecticut. She has volunteered in her community as a tutor for third and fourth grade students, and now spends much of her time working part-time at a local coffee shop. She is a member of both the French Honor Society and the Windsor High School Chapter of the National Honor Society, and has also participated in her class committee. Katelyn has a great love for the arts and has been seen in numerous theatrical productions with a community theater group, in her school's choir, and playing the piano, which she has done for nine years. She also enjoys playing tennis on her school's varsity team. Following high school, Katelyn hopes to attend college in the Washington, DC area and study international relations and French. Her ultimate goal is to work for the government or a think tank in Washington.

[ Back to top ]

 
Delaware
Ms. Meghan Pasricha
"The Marketing of a 'Just War': The Second World War and Desert Storm"
Sanford School
Hockessin, DE
Coordinator: Ms. Sadhana Pasricha

Meghan was born and raised in Delaware, where she attends Sanford High School. Following high school, she plans to attend a leading university and take a broad range of courses in economics, social sciences, public policy and languages to prepare for a career in public service involving law and international affairs. Meghan is the Founder and President of ATAC, the Anti-Tobacco Action Club at her school, and as the chair of Delaware's Kick Butts Generation has been very active in organizing activities and mobilizing the youth in Delaware to support the successful passage of Delaware's Indoor Smoking Ban. This year the Tobacco Free Kids Organization selected Meghan as the International Youth Advocate of the Year (2003-2004). While serving as the President of the Indo-American Youth Group and as a youth organizer of a multi-faith youth group, she has organized several cultural programs, food preparation activities for the needy, and served as a mentor for younger community members. Having studied Indian classical dance and voice for over ten years, she frequently performs at charity events and at senior citizen centers. This past year Meghan has regularly written articles in the Teen Voice section of the local newspaper to highlight issues that concern teens. The Governor of Delaware has awarded Meghan the Youth Volunteer of the Year 2003 award for her efforts and she recently won the Commonwealth Student Essay award, four awards for Journalism, the Discover Card Scholarship and the Edge Card award for the My Anti-Drug Campaign.

[ Back to top ]

 
District of Columbia
Ms. Ryan Amari Tabb
"The Senseless Feuds"
Woodrow Wilson High School
Washington, DC
Coordinator: Mr. Jeffrey A. Schultz

Ryan Tabb is 17 year-old native Washingtonian. Ryan was born with a birth defect known as Crouzon's syndrome, a rare defect that impacts the entire facial structure. Although Ryan has this defect, which over many years and many surgeries has been corrected, she has not allowed it to stop her from achieving her goals and making plans for her future. Ryan has been an active member of her community. She is a Girl Scout, a peer educator in the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy; a peer leader in both the AIDS Alliance for Children Youth and Families Youth for Hope; and a member of the DC Youth Orchestra where she has played the oboe for seven years. Besides being devoted to her community, she is also devoted to her school. She shows this devotion by being a peer mediator, and she is the vice-president of her graduating class. She has received many awards which include: the Wanda Washburn Award and Charlene Drew Jarvis Awards for Science, the President's Award for Academic Improvement, the Principal's Peace Award, the American Legion Award, and second place in the Gideon Versus Wainwright Essay Contest. As she prepares for graduation Ryan is also looking forward to the bright future she will have as a freshmen at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmittsburg, Maryland, where she will major in elementary education.

[ Back to top ]

 
Florida
Ms. Ali Glisson
"The Justification of War"
Academy of the Holy Names
Tampa, FL
Coordinator: Sis. Mary Patricia Plumb

Ali lives in Tampa, Florida, where she attends the Academy of the Holy Names as a junior. Following high school, Ali hopes to major in International Relations or Political Science at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. In addition to English and Spanish, Ali would like to become proficient in several other languages. Ali loves to travel, an activity she intends to incorporate in her work following college. Already, she has been all over the world, including Russia and Estonia. In the summer of 2001, Ali spent a month working with teachers and coaches at the Estonian National Opera and was asked to dance in one of their performances. Ali's other interests include community service and participation in several clubs at school.

[ Back to top ]

 
Georgia
Ms. Susan Davis
"War: What is it Good For?"
Davidson Fine Arts School
Augusta, GA
Coordinator: Ms. Aletha Y Snowberger

No Bio Available.

[ Back to top ]

 
Hawaii
Mr. Owen Martel
"The Justness of War"
Punahou School
Honolulu, HI
Coordinator: Ms. Hope Staab

Owen has just completed his sophomore year at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii. He runs varsity track and cross-country and enjoys hiking on the trails near his home and school. He loves reading fictional and historical epics, and derives great joy from creating, whether in the form of writing, drawing, painting or constructing.

[ Back to top ]

 
Idaho

No state winner.

[ Back to top ]

 
Illinois
Ms. Bryn R Pallesen
"The Absence of Just War"
Naperville North High School
Naperville, IL
Coordinator: Ms. Cherie Beckman

Bryn is a graduate of Naperville North High School where she was active as a member of the cross-country team, a leader of Amnesty International, and the captain of the Junior Engineering and Technical Society that placed second in Illinois and fourth in the nation. She was also involved in Model United Nations, Peer Helpers, First Class (a program promoting respect within the school community), Literacy Center tutoring, band, and club and high school soccer. Her honors include National Honor Society, Who's Who Among American High School Students, Illinois State Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor, and National Merit Commended Scholar. Within her community, she has served as a volunteer youth soccer coach through the local park district and as a volunteer swim instructor through the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association. This past summer, Bryn spent two weeks as a Landmark Volunteer participant restoring and building hiking trails in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Area in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico. She enjoys running, playing piano, reading, and spending time with family and friends. This fall, Bryn will attend Amherst College where she hopes to play soccer.

[ Back to top ]

 
Indiana
Ms. Kelly E Dietz
"The Justification of the Spanish-American and Gulf Wars"
North Central High School
Indianapolis, IN
Coordinator: Mr. William Broderick

Kelly is a senior at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Next fall, she will attend the University of Illinois, where she plans to major in political science and philosophy. Over the past four years, Kelly has been involved in numerous service activities, including the pre-school Head Start program, working as an aide at a school for the deaf, and as a teaching assistant in middle school social studies classes. She has spent her summers working in a law office, where she has worked on civil cases, filing legal papers in the courts and doing office work. During the summer of 2002 Kelly was selected to represent her high school at Indiana Girls State, a program sponsored by the American Legion.

[ Back to top ]

 
Iowa
Mr. Matthew E Mead
"Justification of War in the Vietnam and Gulf Wars"
Marshalltown High School
Marshalltown, IA
Coordinator: Mr. Brian L. Johnson

Matt is completing his tenth grade year at Marshalltown Senior High School where he is an honor student and a member of the varsity tennis and wrestling teams. His interests in school include Science Olympiad, Math Team, French, and Honors American History. After Matt graduates from Marshalltown High School he plans on going to college in a science field, possibly genetics. Outside of school Matt enjoys listening to music, having fun with friends, water-skiing, reading, and spending time with his family.

[ Back to top ]

 
Kansas
Ms. Paula Burke
"Just War Theory in the Modern Age: Conflict in the Falklands and Iraq"
Salina High School South
Salina, KS
Coordinator: Ms. Karen Bastin

Paula is actively involved in debate and forensics. She has debated for four years, and is a national NFL (National Forensic League) qualifier in both Senate and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Graduating this year, Paula will attend Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas where she plans to major in Political Science and English. She will also be debating at the college level. Paula established a chapter of Amnesty International at her school and is group coordinator. She is captain of the Economics Challenge team, leading them to win state and take third at regionals. She enjoys studying postmodern philosophy and European History.

[ Back to top ]

 
Kentucky
Ms. Katie Grogan
"The Futility of Just War Idealism"
Notre Dame Academy
Lakeside Park, KY
Coordinator: Ms. Diana Timmerding

Katie, 17, lives in Lakeside Park, in northern Kentucky. When she finishes high school, she intends to attend an academically strong college to study molecular genetics or zoological animal behavior. Katie participates in her school's fall drama and spring musical, and is a six-year member of the Speech and Drama Team. She is also a National Honor Society member and a member of the French National Honor Society. For the past two years, she has volunteered at the local Newport Aquarium, serving as a Summer Naturalist, educating guests and learning about aquatic animals. Katie was recently accepted into Kentucky's Governor's Scholars Program and has had several poems published.

next page of winners