We’re excited to announce the first-place and runners-up of the 2025 Humanities Center Essay Contest! Congratulations to Jane Henderson, Paige Winegar Fetzer, and Hannah Peterson.

This year, students were invited to explore the theme of joy through a creative nonfiction essay that wove together a key personal experience, a reference to a humanities artifact, and a distinctive metaphor to express their unique vision of joy.

We hope you enjoy these thoughtful, imaginative, and award-winning pieces from our students.