Winning Essays & Authors

2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06

2007-08

You can find economics in just about any issue making the news. For the second year in a row, essay contest participants were asked to discuss their thoughts on the economic principles and concepts they find in current events.

First Place Winners:

Little Rock
Amanda Johnson, Pulaski Academy (Little Rock, Ark.) "Trade with China: Worth the Risk?" (PDF, 26 Kb)

Louisville
Emily Foust, Warren Central High School (Bowling Green, Ky.) "On-line Sharecropping: The Monetizing of Free Labor" (PDF, 84 Kb)

Memphis
Andrew Toney, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.) "Oil Thicker than Water?" (PDF, 28 Kb)

St. Louis
Paul Orland, Clayton High School (Clayton, Mo.) "Malaria: A Central Obstacle to Global Health and Prosperity" (PDF, 24 Kb)

Runners-up:

Little Rock

2nd place: Kara Marley, Elkins High School (Elkins, Ark.)
3rd place: Vijay Rajaram, Pulaski Academy (Little Rock, Ark.)
4th place: Heather Johnson, Elkins High School (Elkins, Ark.)
5th place: Allison Evans, Elkins High School (Elkins, Ark.)

Louisville

2nd place: Samantha Block, Silver Creek High School (Sellersburg, Ind.)
3rd place: Javier Ruiz, Eastern High School (Louisville, Ky.)
4th place: Katie Cannon, Castle High School (Newburgh, Ind.)

Memphis

2nd place tie: Jonathan Boyd, Madison Academic Magnet High School (Jackson, Tenn.)
2nd place tie: Abby Agnew, Madison Academic Magnet High School (Jackson, Tenn.)
3rd place tie: Kelsey Gibson, Westview High School (Martin, Tenn.)
3rd place tie: Ashley Mayes, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)
3rd place tie: Chelsea Brunner, Madison Academic Magnet High School (Jackson, Tenn.)
4th place tie: Nicholas Elo, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)
4th place tie: Bethany McGregor, Madison Academic Magnet High School (Jackson, Tenn.)
4th place tie: John Mundy, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)

St. Louis

2nd place: Charity Garner, Marquette High School (Chesterfield, Mo.)
3rd place: Hyrum Shumway, Clayton High School (Clayton, Mo.)
4th place: Seth Burggraf, Marquette High School (Chesterfield, Mo.)

2006-07

You can find economics in just about any issue making the news. Participants were asked to discuss their thoughts on the economic principles and concepts they find in current events.

First Place Winners:

Little Rock
Theresa Edattukaren, Little Rock Central High School (Little Rock, Ark.) "The Better Side of Illegal: Economic Growth Outweighs Economic Costs of Illegal Workers and Families" (PDF, 18 Kb)

Louisville
Matthew Sauffer, Silver Creek High School (Sellersburg, Ind.) “Turning on the AC: The Economics of Global Warming” (PDF, 20 Kb)

Memphis
David Kumbroch, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.) "Into the Donut Hole" (PDF, 18 Kb)

St. Louis
Joel Schmidt, St. Louis University High School (St. Louis) “Economic Benefits of Missouri Stem Cell Research” (PDF, 108 Kb)

Runners-up:

Little Rock

2nd place: Nicholas Andre Lovan, Elkins High School, (Elkins, Ark.)
3rd place: Alexandra Sing, Pulaski Academy, (Little Rock, Ark.)
4th place: Christopher Martindill, Pulaski Academy, (Little Rock, Ark.)
5th place: Holly Culpepper, Fountain Lake High School, (Lonsdale, Ark.)

Louisville

2nd place: John Mitchell, Silver Creek High School (Sellersburg, Ind.)
3rd place: Tyler Flatt, Russell County High School (Russell Springs, Ky.)
4th place: Jessye Pearson, Borden High School (Borden, Ind.)

Memphis

2nd place: Amy Kerr, Madison Academic Magnet High School (Jackson, Tenn.)
3rd place tie: Gwen Daniels, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)
3rd place tie: Alex Marshall, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)
3rd place tie: Sandra Plunkett, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)
3rd place tie: Bethany Richardson, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)
4th place tie: Allison Brown, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)
4th place tie: Abigail Holt, Madison Academic Magnet High School (Jackson, Tenn.)
4th place tie: Allyssa Ozier, Madison Academic Magnet High School (Jackson, Tenn.)
4th place tie: Kiara Simmons, White Station High School

St. Louis

2nd place: Daniel Ni, Rockbridge Senior High School (Columbia, Mo.)
3rd place: John Neill, St. Louis University High School (St. Louis)
4th place: Raymond Kreienkamp, St. Louis University High School (St. Louis)

2005-06

Participants were asked to search for the economic principles and concepts found in a fiction novel of their choice. Contestants considered the trade-offs characters make and the consequences of their decisions and how economic ideas and essays play into the theme of the story.

First Place Winners:

Little Rock
Scott Wardlaw, Catholic High School (Little Rock, Ark.) "Fruits of a Weak Labor Market" (PDF, 56 Kb)

Louisville
Logan Wilson, Madisonville North Hopkins High School (Madisonville, Ky.) "A Tale of Economics" (PDF, 80 Kb)

Memphis
Julia Fifer, Germantown High School (Memphis, Tenn.) "The Economics of Love and Marriage in Emma"

St. Louis
Sean Layton, St. Louis University High School (St. Louis) "Finding Economics in Brave New World" (PDF, 42 Kb)

Runners-up:

Little Rock

2nd place: Denise Ashby, Conway High School (Conway, Ark.)
3rd place: Karosh Saba, Central High School (Little Rock, Ark.)
4th place: Charlotte Muse, Lonoke High School (Lonoke, Ark.)
5th place: Andrew Bagwell, Conway High School (Conway, Ark.)

Louisville

2nd place: Ben Mayberry, South Central High School, (Elizabeth, Ind.)
3rd place: Sookyng Kim, South Central High School, (Elizabeth, Ind.)
4th place tie: Sheetal Patel, North Bullitt High School, (Shepherdsville, Ky.)
4th place tie: Bethany Walker, Ballard High School, (Louisville, Ky.)

Memphis

2nd place: Mitchell Allee, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)
3rd place: John Michael Segars, Saltillo High School (Saltillo, Miss.)
4th place tie: Jessica Letson, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)
4th place tie: Terry Lyles Jr., DeSoto Central High School (Olive Branch, Miss.)
5th place tie: Emily Weinstein, White Station High School (Memphis, Tenn.)
5th place tie: Kristen Schlessinger, Collierville High School (Collierville, Tenn.)

St. Louis

2nd place: Anthony Keel, St. Louis University High School (St. Louis)
3rd place: Nicholas Niehaus, St. Louis University High School (St. Louis)
4th place: Hannah Siekerman, Rosati-Kain High School (St. Louis)
5th place: David Pottgen, Fox Senior High School (Arnold, Mo.)

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