Chicago Council on Global Affairs Announces Winners of America at 250 High School Essay Competition
CHICAGO — The Chicago Council on Global Affairs today announced the winners of its America at 250 High School Essay Competition, a contest inviting Midwest high school juniors and seniors to share their visions for how the region can advance America’s global engagement as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.
Students from across the Chicago area and the Midwest submitted essays responding to the prompt: “As the US marks its 250th anniversary, how do you see the Midwest advancing America’s global engagement in the next generation?” A panel of Council staff, fellows, and Emerging Leaders Program alumni evaluated essays on argument, originality, writing structure, and writing style.
Essay Competition Winners
Most Compelling: Deven Weiss, Junior, Francis W. Parker High School
Most Creative: Alexia Conine, Junior, North Shore Country Day School
Runner-Up, Most Compelling: Jonah Chen, Senior, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
Runner-Up, Most Creative: Ethan Jones, Senior, Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy
Honorable Mention: Saahir Patel, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
For his winning essay, Weiss was inspired to examine the Midwest's unique position as a potential climate haven after studying the Great Migration and traveling to India and Costa Rica.
"A herculean effort from principal stakeholders will be necessary to successfully establish a safe haven for tens of millions of climate refugees in the Midwest, but the Midwest has resources and attributes that uniquely qualify it for this undertaking,” Weiss writes. “If successful, the Midwest will significantly advance America’s engagement with the world and offer a model to the rest of the world for a solution to the impending climate-based global migration crisis."
For her winning essay, Conine drew on her experience as a volunteer handing out supplies to migrant families bused into Chicago from Texas.
“What I took from that night on the train platform is something I keep coming back to: Global engagement doesn't start at the top. It starts in places where people show up and respond to what's right in front of them, even without all the answers,” Conine writes. “That capacity to stay close to the problem and respond with what you have is something the Midwest understands quietly and demonstrates consistently.”
“The quality and ambition of this year’s submissions reflect just how deeply young Midwesterners are thinking about America’s place in the world. These essays demonstrate that the next generation of global thinkers is already here, and that they have a great deal to say,” said Leslie Vinjamuri, president and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
First-place winners Weiss and Conine will each receive $1,000, while runner-up winners Chen and Jones will each receive $500. All five students, including Honorable Mention recipient Patel, will be recognized publicly at the Council’s America at 250 Global Forum in Chicago on June 18, 2026. The competition is part of the Council’s America at 250 initiative, a series of high-level dialogues, expert perspectives, and public programs focused on the critical questions that will define America’s future. The initiative culminates with the America at 250 Global Forum on June 18, 2026.
About the Council
A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, the Council was founded in 1922 and is dedicated to increasing knowledge and engagement in global affairs. Our in-depth analysis and expert-led research influence policy conversations and inform the insights we share with our growing community. Through accessible content and open dialogue of diverse, fact-based perspectives, we empower more people to help shape our global future. Learn more at globalaffairs.org.