Fourth Circuit Announces Winners of 2024 Essay Contest

Seventy years ago, the Supreme Court held in Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), that racial segregation in public schools violates the United States Constitution. The Court recognized that public education is "the very foundation of good citizenship," and Brown's impact on education and society has been the subject of much discussion and debate in our nation's history.

Has the decision in Brown, viewed through the lens of 2024, achieved its purpose of ensuring equal opportunity in public education?

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is pleased to announce the winners of its 2024 Essay Contest. The contest, which ran from February 20, 2024, to May 31, 2024, was open to current students in grades 9-12 in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

High School

First Place--$2,000 Award: Kennedy Grams, a rising senior, Pikesville High School, Baltimore, Maryland. Read the First Place Essay

Second Place--$1,500 Award: Elaine Deng, a rising senior, HCS Scholars Academy, Conway, South Carolina.Read the Second Place Essay

Third Place--$1,000 Award: Asher Ermentrout, a rising sophomore, Grimsley High School, Greensboro, North Carolina. Read the Third Place Essay

Middle School

First Place--$500 Award: Makayla Macklin, a rising freshman, Union Day School, Weddington, North CarolinaRead the First Place Essay

Second Place--$350 Award: Isabelle Yam, a rising 7th grader, The Langley School, McLean, Virginia.Read the Second Place Essay

Third Place--$200 Award: Aydin Soner, a rising 7th grader, homeschooled, Columbia, South Carolina. Read the Third Place Essay

Students were invited to consider and share their thoughts on the question: "Has the decision in Brown, viewed through the lens of 2024, achieved its purpose of ensuring equal opportunity in public education?" The court received excellent essays from students in all five states.

Awards will be presented at the Constitution Day program scheduled for September 26, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. at the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia.

The court extends its appreciation to its distinguished panels of judges for their work in reviewing the essays and selecting the top three submissions:

High School

• Janice Baker, Legal Writing Instructor; Director, Konduros Leadership Development Program, University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, South Carolina.
• Richard B. Katskee, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, Director, Appellate Litigation Clinic, Duke University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina.
  
• Amy Cyphert, Lecturer in Law, Director, ASPIRE, West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia.
• Karen M. Hinkley, Partner, Litigation and Appeals, Davis Hartman Wright LLP, New Bern, North Carolina.
  
• Steven J. Alagna, Lecturer in Law, Interim Director of the Appellate Clinic, Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri.
  

Middle School

• Mary Claire Davis, Associate Professor, West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia.
• Wesley Hedgepeth, Teacher, Richmond, Virginia.
• Ganelle Sutton, Teacher, Author, Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

For more information about the contest, visit Courts4Civics.

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