Op-Ed Competition 2025 Winners Announced

Congratulations to the winners and finalists of our Op-Ed Competition! Exploring a range of topics, from masculinity to the sense of duty in academia, these talented writers proved that young voices across the globe deserve to be heard. Read on to discover the winning pieces along with Guest Judge Francisco J. Rivera Rosario’s reflections.

Thank you to the National Student Leadership Conference for sponsoring this competition! NSLC provides immersive summer programs to middle and high school students, to help them develop the skills, experience, and confidence they need to envision and pursue fulfilling academic and professional careers.

WINNER:

‘A Boy in His Dress: A Journey Towards Inclusive Masculinity’ by AWriter (China)

A good personal essay uses the writer's experience as a frame on which they'll hang their take-home message. Through the author's anecdotes in this essay, the author builds a sturdy frame on which they support a compelling argument: the reimagining of traditional masculinity. When a piece pushes against conventional wisdom, the author is always at risk of coming across as overtly antagonistic towards the subject it is attempting to examine. Not here. The author suggests that to build a more inclusive masculinity, we don't need to rip it apart completely. But rather, we should use surgical precision, leaving in what works and discarding the elements of traditional masculinity that no longer serve anyone. The essay is clear in its convictions and the author shows skilled control in communicating them.

RUNNER-UP:

‘Redefining “Giving Back to One’s Country”: A Filipino Scholar’s Dilemma’ by Annika Remigio (Philippines)

What should you do when pursuing your dreams feels at odds with your responsibility to your friends, family, and country? Write! Annika's essay shows an author who is thinking deeply about what they value in life. The essay deftly communicates the weight of the responsibility that comes with wanting to be accomplished and serving your country, but also being concerned about doing it in the "right" way. And at the end, through exploration of those feelings, Annika reaches a lovely conclusion. The "right" way to give back to your country is to be the best version of yourself, no matter where you find yourself. Genuinely and purposefully.

BEST PEER REVIEW:

‘Homeschooling Should Never Die’ reviewed by Emmi_B (Australia)

Providing feedback is an art in and of itself. You have to strike the right balance between encouragement, where the writing succeeds, and challenge, where it requires fine-tuning. It is a fine line to walk. Emmi B's peer review walks it perfectly. Emmi's review tweaks sentences, points out redundancies, and asks questions about the writer's argument and the essay's structure. This is a review with balance and precision. In asking the writer for more anecdotal writing, the review picks out the elements that worked and asks the writer to elevate them. But the review is also firm and unafraid to push back, asking the writer for more sourcing to support arguments and suggesting the reworking of sentences when needed. Throughout, this review maintains a curious and considerate tone. The notes never imply that a bit of writing failed. Instead, they convey a genuine interest in giving the writer the guidance required to improve the piece. Emmi succeeds in writing a well-crafted review that is as thoughtful as it is useful.