AU's Student Contest
AU’s student contest asks students to think about why religious freedom and church-state separation are important and what they can do to protect it. This year we asked students to think about religious freedom in the context of our public school system.
Meet the 2024 Student Contest Winners
High school video contest winners
First Place Winner – Elijah Norris (he/him), a high school student from Griffin, Georgia. Elijah’s video explores what real religious freedom means, using historical examples and current events.
“I entered this competition because, as a person of faith, I believe that faith must be freely chosen if it is to be authentic.”
Second Place Winner – Dhanista Annem (she/her) a high school student from Frisco, Texas. Dhanista’s video, The Battle of Balance, explores the separation of church and state through the experiences of a young teacher in the midwest.
“I wanted to use my voice to shed light on the urgent need for protecting public schools from religious interference and inspire others to act.”
Third Place Winner – Casady (Sadie) Schwartz (she/her), a high school student from Salt Lake City, Utah. Sadie’s video explores the importance of keeping public schools free from religious coercion.
“I have a passion for writing and making videos, and as the separation of church and state is something that I feel strongly about, this contest stood out to me as something I could have fun participating in.”
College video contest winners
First Place Winner – Aahan Bajpai (he/him), a college student at Purdue University. Aahan’s video looks at the separation of church and state from the perspective of someone practicing a minority religion in the United States.
“I participated in the contest because religious freedom is under attack in the US, and I want to do what I can to stop that.”
Second Place Winner – Sabrina Harrison (they/them) a student from Midwestern State University. Sabrina explores the connection between the separation of church and state and LGBTQ+ equality.
“I decided to participate in AU’s contest because as a queer media student, the first amendment is crucial in every potential career path I could take.”
Third Place Winner – Imani Laird (she/her), a student from Hampton University. “In my Introduction to Political Science class, we learned about America’s church-state separation, and my professor encouraged me to apply when I showed him the contest.”
Imani looks at the current Christian Nationalist campaign to erode the separation of church and state.
High school essay winners
First Place Winner – Dhruti Pathak (she/her), a student from Missouri City, Texas. Dhruti’s essay examines how book bans are used to erode the separation of church and state in public schools.
“I participated in AU’s Student Essay Contest to shed light on the growing entanglement of religion and public education in the United States while deepening my understanding of Christian nationalism and its impact on our democracy.”
Second Place Winner – Ayla Zook (she/her), a student from King George, Virginia. Ayla’s essay discusses how prayers in public meetings violate religious freedom.
“I participated in the AU essay contest to share my personal experience with my school board’s violation of the separation of church and state, hoping to raise awareness and inspire others to stand up for constitutional rights in educational spaces.”
Third Place Winner – Johanna Marx (she/her), a student from Temecula, California. Johanna’s essay gives examples of how students and communities can protect their religious freedom rights.
“I participated in AU’s essay contest because it offered me an outlet to express my discomfort and concerns about people ignoring the separation of church and state.”
College essay winners
First Place Winner – Krrisha Patel (she/her), a student from the University of Pennsylvania. Krrisha’s essay is a moving personal reflection on the importance of religious freedom for everyone, not just a favored few.
“I joined this contest to share my experience as a Hindu student in public schools, where religious freedom often felt threatened, and to speak out against how religious extremists are pushing for religious practices in spaces meant to be inclusive for all.”
Second Place Winner – Allison Schneider (she/her), a student from Fordham University. Allison’s essay digs into the confusion and isolation that can occur when religion infiltrates public education.
“The Americans United essay contest gave me the opportunity to write about my passion for religious freedom and to reflect on the important research I did with the help of the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education. I believe strongly in the importance of AU’s mission to encourage the separation of church and state in order to protect the religious liberty of all Americans.”
Third Place Winner – Carissa Coane (she/her), a student attending Glendale Community College. Carissa’s essay looks at the impact book bans have made in the last decade on religious freedom and the love of reading.
“Educational equity is one of the most vital freedoms a democracy can have, and I appreciate that AU’s essay contest gave me an incentive to explore the topic of church-state separation in greater depth.”
