International Student Essay Contest
Past Winners Pictured
Everyone has a story. We're excited to read yours!
CGPS is pleased to have hosted seven annual international student essay contests, the most recent one in collaboration with the Division of Student Life and the Graduate College. This year's winners are listed below. We appreciate all of the students who took the time to write and submit their essays in this year’s contest.
While 2020 was certainly a unique year for all of us, some things remain as true as ever. CGPS and many partner offices on campus have a rich tradition of welcoming international students from all parts of the world. The mission to foster international understanding and cross-cultural awareness on campus and in the community is as important as ever. The purpose of this contest is to give interested applicants an opportunity to tell their stories and share the experiences and perspectives of being an international student with the larger University community.
Essay Contest Winners
2020
2018
2017
1st Prize
John Wambui (Kenya)
"A Gentle Spectacle!"
3rd Prize
Edgar Salazar (Colombia)
"Highways? No Way!"
2016
1st Prize
Chamath Chandrasekera
(Sri Lanka)
"The Sandwich Cononumdrum"
3rd Prize
Ugochukwu Nsofor (Nigeria)
"American Wonder!"
2015
1st Prize
Zamora Kervin (Honduras)
"From the Dirt Roads of Honduras to the Red Brick Walks of UD"
3rd Prize
Olsson Hanna (Sweden)
"The missing suitcases – a metaphor of my life at UD"
2014
1st Prize
Olga Parshina (Russia)
Untitled
3rd Prize
Yuqing Wang (China)
"Out of Hot Water: Culture Shock in the United States"
2013
1st Prize
Subramani Sockalingam (India)
Untitled
2nd Prize
Rodrigo Moreno (Chile)
Untitled
Honorable Mention
Karim Rebiai (Belgium)
"A New Culture - Help Me, I'm Drowning!"
Prizes
| Category | Grand Prize | Second Prize |
| Undgergraduate Students | $500 | $250 |
| Graduate Students | $500 | $250 |
| ELI Students | $500 | $250 |
Funds for winning essays will be placed into student accounts.