Herzog Foundation Announces 2024 Bill of Rights Essay Contest Winners
On the 233rd anniversary of the United States Bill of Rights ratification, the Herzog Foundation is proud to announce the following winners of the 2024 Bill of Rights essay contest:
- Lillian McCulloch (Classical Consortium Academy – Barrington, IL) – High School Winner
- Harper Mixon (Second Baptist School University-Model – Houston, TX) – Middle School Winner
The Herzog Foundation is also proud to announce the following runners up:
High School Runners Up:
- Adison Kaspar (Kalos Christian Academy – Kansas City, MO) – High School Runner Up
- Lauren Magers (Gloria Deo Academy – Springfield, MO) – High School Runner Up
- Madelyn Schmeisl (Oakland Christian School – Auburn Hills, MI) – High School Runner Up
- Audrey Weibert (Calvin Christian School – Escondido, CA) – High School Runner Up
Middle School Runners Up:
- Benjamin Bandy (New Heights Christian Academy – Joplin, MO) – Middle School Runner Up
- Annabelle Daugherty (Homeschool – Palmyra, TN) – Middle School Runner Up
- Paloma Davis (St. Anthony of Padua School – Falls Church, VA) – Middle School Runner Up
- Kelaiah Hermiller (Calvary Christian School – Bellfontaine, OH) – Middle School Runner Up
- Olen Thompson (L.E.A.D. Academy – Pace, FL) – Middle School Runner Up
- Amelie Sutingco (St. Leo the Great School – Fairfax, VA) – Middle School Runner Up
- Ethan Williams (New Heights Christian Academy – Joplin, MO) – Middle School Runner Up
This year’s contest drew over 600 submissions, a record number, with the majority coming from middle school students. The Herzog Foundation is excited to build upon this growing enthusiasm among young people for understanding America’s foundational documents as we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
“The Bill of Rights has been a cornerstone of American liberty for over 230 years, serving as a vital framework for our rights and freedoms,” said Herzog Foundation Chairman Todd Graves. “As we approach the United States Semiquincentennial in 2026, it’s more important than ever that young Americans grasp the historical significance and ongoing relevance of our foundational documents.”
All middle school and high school students currently enrolled in a Christian school or homeschool were eligible to participate in the essay contest. Each winner and their school received a $300 award from the Herzog Foundation. Additionally, each runner up and their school received a $150 award.
“Now, more than ever, we must instill a sense of civic responsibility and appreciation for American values in the next generation,” emphasized Herzog Foundation President Darrell Jones. “It’s essential for families and educators to engage with our nation’s founding documents. The Herzog Foundation aims to honor students and schools that not only understand but actively celebrate our fundamental American beliefs.”
Students are invited to respond to the prompt: “What made the Bill of Rights revolutionary and unique at the time of its ratification? How has it shaped the United States and its citizens over the years?”
“Though many positive steps were taken, a solution to the balance between freedom and order, the protection of personal liberties without sacrificing peace, was yet to be reached, until the Bill of Rights became law. This most radical step towards the balance between the two essential human needs of order and freedom was revolutionary in its effectiveness, which surpassed that of its many predecessors. In only ten succinct articles, it protected the balance between freedom and order through the simple act of affirming human rights,” said High School Winner Lillian McCulloch.
“The Bill of Rights empowers United States citizens to fight for freedom, and it is as revolutionary today as the day in 1789 when it was written. If Americans fail to fight the government to maintain the Bill of Rights, then liberty and the United States are lost. If the U.S. is lost, then the West is lost. If the West is lost, then the Eastern countries and communism will dominate the world. The Bill of Rights and Americans’ will to fight for the unalienable rights given to them by their Creator has been and will be the force that saves the world from tyranny,” said Middle School Winner Harper Mixon.
“The creation of the Bill of Rights is one of the most unique and influential points in history, not just for America and her citizens but for the future of the world by giving everyone the potential to experience the freedom to which all men are naturally authorized by God,” said High School Runner Up Adison Kaspar.
“The Bill of Rights stands as a shining example of how visionary principles can transcend borders, not only defining the future of a nation but also making a profound impact on global awareness. It all comes down to one simple value that is taken granted for; freedom. It lights up each day and provides us with a cause worth fighting for. It ignites the fiery American spirit within us,” said High School Runner Up Lauren Magers.
“The freedom in the United States of America, granted by the Bill of Rights, is a reason to be thankful that we live in a free country where we don’t have to worry about going to jail or getting executed for worshiping God or exercising freedom of speech. We owe it all to the Bill of Rights,” said High School Runner Up Madelyn Schmeisl.
“Instead of giving up rights for the sake of peace and order, the American government offers an alternative, where natural rights, peace, and order are protected. For life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the Bill of Rights then expands and specifies what they are. Thus, the reason why the Bill of Rights was a radical document,” said High School Runner Up Audrey Weibert.
“The Bill of Rights is a paramount guarantee to the rights of Americans in relation to their government. The Bill of Rights is very revolutionary because it not only spells out the rights of Americans, but it gives a promised assurance of their freedom,” said Middle School Runner Up Benjamin Bandy.
“Just as other nations and our own are shaped by the Bill of Rights, we as citizens are as well. We have our own distinct set of values and will never be content to live under oppressive conditions without making our voices heard. These beliefs are founded solidly in the Bill of Rights,” said Middle School Runner Up Annabelle Daugherty.
“At the time of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, the idea that governments should have much power and authority over its citizens was fairly common, appearing as behemoths, but the Bill of Rights would inspire change in this conviction,” said Middle School Runner Up Paloma Davis.
“Because of the revolutionary Bill of Rights, we the people have been equipped with basic freedoms that many other countries don’t have. These freedoms have shaped us into a people who are independent, critical thinkers who can choose their own path to walk,” said Middle School Runner Up Kelaiah Hermiller.
“This document is not a dead document but rather alive and flourishing. We use this 230+ year-old document daily to create new laws, exercise our freedoms, express our opinions, practice our religion, and much more. This is one of the most important documents, not just in American history, but in all of history because it sets an example of freedom,” said Middle School Runner Up Olen Thompson.
“’We the People’, sang the exquisite calligraphy. These words are known to all, for they commence the document that is the cornerstone of our country, laid by the Founding Fathers, a badge of honor on the proud chests of Americans: the Constitution of the United States. However, this momentous document was incomplete without one critical component: the Bill of Rights,” said Middle School Runner Up Amelie Sutingco.
“The Bill of Rights was considered revolutionary when it was written because it clearly protected the individual rights of the American people. This had never been done before. Most governments had controlled the rights of people,” said Middle School Runner Up Ethan Williams.
About the Stanley M. Herzog Foundation
The Stanley M. Herzog Charitable Foundation is a charitable foundation dedicated to catalyzing and accelerating the development of quality Christ-centered K-12 education so that families and culture flourish.
Learn more at HerzogFoundation.com.