profile in courage essay contest 2023 winners

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

In Profiles in Courage , John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. These leaders demonstrated political courage by taking a stand for the public good in spite of pressure by interest groups, their political party, or even their constituents. The Profile in Courage Essay Contest challenges students to write an original and creative essay that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage .

Contest Topic: Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917 , the year John F. Kennedy was born. Include an analysis of the obstacles, risks, and consequences associated with the act. The essay may concern an issue at the local, state, national, or international level.

The contest deadline is January 12, 2024.

Visit the Profile in Courage Essay Contest section of the JFK Library website for more requirements, judging criteria, past winning essays, and additional information.

Registration and Submission

Please read Contest Topic and Information carefully before submitting your essay. Essays must meet   contest requirements to qualify for evaluation.

The Profile in Courage Essay Contest has upgraded its registration and submission technology, and we now use the SurveyMonkey Apply platform. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact the Profile in Courage Essay Contest Coordinator.

Important Note: Before contacting the Profile in Courage Essay Contest Coordinator, please be sure to review the contest web pages and read over the FAQ section of the web site.

Email: [email protected]

Sep 1 2023 12:00 AM (EDT)

Jan 12 2024 11:59 pm (est).

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John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

One thing that quickly becomes apparent to high school students preparing for college is the burden of funding a four-year degree. Fortunately for college-bound students, there are numerous ways to reduce the cost of school. One of the most notable methods is pursuing a wide range of scholarships and awards. An award that students with exceptional writing and researching skills should consider is the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest.

About the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

In 1954, John F. Kennedy took a leave of absence from the Senate to recover from back surgery. Kennedy used that time to study the topic of political courage, which inspired him to later write the Pulitzer-Prize winning book Profiles in Courage —detailing the careers of eight Senators whom Kennedy believed demonstrated enormous courage when faced with pressure from their parties and constituents.  

Today, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest asks students to follow in Kennedy’s footsteps by researching and writing a creative original essay about an elected official who risked their career to take a stand on moral principles. The essay contest serves as a companion project to the Kennedy Library Foundation’s Profile in Courage Award, which honors elected officials who have demonstrated incredible political courage.

The winner of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest receives a $10,000 cash award and is invited to accept their prize at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts during the Profile in Courage Award events—with all travel and lodging expenses paid for. In addition to the award winner, the runner-up will receive a $3,000 award, the five finalists each receive $1,000 awards, and the eight semi-finalists are awarded $100 each.

In addition to the winners, ten students are selected for honorable mention and all participants receive a certificate of participation.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest Applicant Requirements

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest is available to U.S. high school students in grades nine through twelve. Students need to be enrolled in a public, private, parochial, or homeschool high school program in one of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., or a U.S. territory. The contest also accepts submissions from U.S. citizens attending school overseas.

How to Apply

In order to participate in the Profile of Courage Essay Contest, students need to be recommended by a teacher who will support and advise the student in the creation of their essay. Nominating teachers can be former or current teachers of the applicant, but must still be still teaching at the school the participant is enrolled in. Rarely, an exception may be made if a student is unable to be nominated by a teacher from their school. For applicants who are homeschooled, the parent or legal guardian can fill the role of a nominating teacher.

An applicant’s essay is required to describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official on the local, state, or national level who served between 1917 (the year of Kennedy’s birth) and the present. Essays need to be an original work of the applicant and fall between 700 and 1,000 words—citations and bibliography do not count toward the word count. Additionally, applicants should cite a minimum of five sources.

John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Edward M. Kennedy, along with the senators featured in Profiles of Courage are not eligible subjects for essays. It’s also recommended to avoid writing about present or past presidents of the United States.

Past winners of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest are not eligible to participate again. Employees of John Hancock Financial Services and their family members are also ineligible for the award.

Tips on Applying For Awards

Don’t Miss Deadlines: Pay close attention to deadlines and don’t wait until the last minute to submit your essay. The Profile in Courage Essay can be submitted via email or traditional mail. If you decide to submit your materials via traditional mail, the application must be postmarked on its due date.

Follow Directions: The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest has specific rules about how many words are allowed, sources needed, what information needs to be included, and how sources should be cited. It would be extremely disappointing to write a winning essay only to be disqualified because you made a mistake like forgetting to include a bibliography.

Proofread: Applicants for the Profile in Courage Essay Contest should work closely with their nominating teacher to ensure that they submit a clean essay free of grammatical, typographical, and spelling errors, along with making sure the essay flows and meets the submission requirements.

Research: In addition to researching for their essay, applicants should research past winners to get an understanding of what a winning essay looks like. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum maintains a list of winners and their essays on their website .  

Professional Appearance: When applying for any distinguished award, there’s a chance that your social media profiles will be looked at. Audit your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter profiles and delete any content that could be potentially damaging. While you’re at it, make sure you have a professional-looking email address to correspond with.

Get Professional Help: CollegeVine helps students win awards. Our expert advisors can provide whatever assistance a student needs, whether it’s staying ahead of deadlines or crafting an exceptional essay.

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!

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2023 Profile in Courage highlights five South Carolina senators

This year's recipients of the Profile in Courage Awards is one very special group.

The 2023 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award will be presented to five South Carolina senators: Katrina Shealy, Margie Bright Matthews, Mia McLeod, Sandy Senn and Penry Gustafson. The women are known for forming a bipartisan coalition to filibuster a near-total abortion ban in their state. 

In April of this year, the five women helped block a near-total abortion ban, delivering speeches in which they highlighted the Senate's male majority and criticized it for pushing debates on abortion over other pressing issues, per the Associated Press.

The bill would have banned abortion at conception. Exceptions would be made for rape or incest through the first trimester, fatal fetal anomalies confirmed by two physicians and to save the patient’s life or health. As of Aug. 23, South Carolina upheld restrictions that would ban most abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy, per NBC News.

Since 1989, the Kennedy family and John F. Kennedy Library Foundation have presented the awards to public servants who have made impactful and life changing decisions regardless of personal or professional consequences.

This year, a special International Profile in Courage Award will honor South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. They will be celebrated "for working to improve relations between their countries despite domestic opposition stemming from long-standing historical issues," per the press release.

Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and her children, Jack Schlossberg and Tatiana Schlossberg, who are members of the Profile in Courage Award Committee, will present the honors on Oct. 29 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts.

“This year’s Profile in Courage Awards honor leaders who took stands of conscience and risked their careers by putting the public interest ahead of their own political standing,” said Kennedy in the press release. “The women of the South Carolina Senate set an example for those seeking justice and individual freedom at all levels of government. President Yoon and PM Kishida are doing the hard work of reconciliation in pursuit of a more peaceful world. All of the honorees demonstrate a commitment to democracy at a time when courage is required.”

Schlossberg added, “The women of the South Carolina Senate exemplify courage and cooperation in politics today. Facing intense opposition and personal attacks, Senators Shealy, Matthews, McLeod, Senn, and Gustafson worked together and across the aisle to oppose a total ban on abortion. Their impact extends beyond the state, inspiring Americans everywhere to keep fighting to protect individual rights.”

Last year, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Republican Rep. Liz Cheney were among the five people honored at the 2022 event.

The Profile in Courage Awards are named in honor of JFK’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1956 book “Profiles in Courage.”

Liz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based reporter and editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news.

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JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Offered by John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Multiple awards worth up to

Grade level.

High School Students

Expected deadline: This scholarship might not currently be accepting applications. Most scholarship programs only accept applications a few months ahead of their annual deadline. We’ve estimated this deadline based on last year’s deadline in order to help you plan out your scholarship applications.

January 2025

Scholarship Overview

Are you a U.S. high school student with a love for U.S. history? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest! Each year, the contest awards up to $10,000 to winning applicants who submit 700 – 1,000 word essays following the year’s prompt. Each year’s prompt relates to U.S. history, with this year’s being: “ Describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born.” The scholarship is offered by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts.

If you love U.S. history and want to put your writing skills and history knowledge to the test, we encourage you to apply!

Eligibility information

This scholarship is open to students meeting the below eligibility criteria.

U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents

Political Science

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Application information.

To apply for this scholarship, students must submit an online application in addition to the below application materials. Bear in mind that applicants must also have a “nominating teacher” who are currently teaching at the same high school as the applicant. Nominating teachers are responsible for providing advice and support to the student throughout the application process.

1,000-word essay

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Profile in Courage Essay Contest

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Contest topic, describe and analyze an act of political courage by a us elected official who served during or after 1917. , to learn more about political courage, visit  contest information  and  faqs ., all submissions must adhere to   contest requirements ., contest deadline, the profile in courage essay contest opens for submissions on september 1, 2023. the contest deadline is january 12, 2024 ., recognition and awards, first-place: $10,000          second-place: $3,000          five finalists: $1,000 each   eight semi-finalists: $100 each, visit the website here for full details, eligibility, the contest is open to united states high school students in grades nine through twelve attending public, private, parochial, or home schools; u.s. students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/ged program in any of the fifty states, the district of columbia, or the u.s. territories; and u.s. citizens attending schools overseas. past winners and finalists are not eligible to participate. employees of john hancock financial services and members of their families are not eligible to participate., requirements, the contest deadline is january 12, 2024 at 11:59 pm (est) ., essays can be no more than 1,000 words but must be a minimum of 700 words. citations and bibliography are not included in the word count., essays must be the original work of the student., essays must have a minimum of five sources..

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