LINCOLN ESSAY COMPETITION 2024

Manchester, VT, May 10, 2024

Students, families, teachers, principals, judges, and guests from across Vermont will gather in Manchester on May 19 to honor the winners of the 18th annual VT 8th Grade Lincoln Essay Competition at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home. This year’s topic focused on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across various fields and sectors in our society.

President Lincoln had an enduring fascination with technology and its potential to transform lives. His Discoveries and Inventions lecture highlighted pivotal human innovations that have shaped the course of history. This year’s essay prompt challenged students to examine the transformational power of artificial intelligence within any field of interest of their choosing and to explain whether they believe the benefits outweigh the risks.

Hildene received a remarkable 211 submissions statewide, showcasing diverse perspectives on AI's role in different sectors. Notably, most students highlighted concerns about AI's potential to overshadow and even eliminate human creativity and sensitivity in fields like journalism, law enforcement, writing and the arts. Many also expressed fear that the careers they might want to pursue may no longer be possible if AI replaces many of the jobs currently held by humans. Still others found more promise than harm in using AI for areas such as designing for safety, medical diagnostics, climate resilience and sports analytics––provided biases can be eliminated from the data collected and used.

After rigorous evaluation, a first, second and third-place winner was chosen from each of the four regions, and three honorable mentions were then selected from the combined pool of finalists. A prize of $500 for first place, $400 for second place, $300 for third place, and $200 for honorable mention will be awarded to the folllowing:

Region One (Grand Isle, Franklin, Orleans, Essex, Lamoille, Caledonia, and Washington Counties):

1st Place: Ursa Goldenrose, Hazen Union School, Hardwick

2nd Place: Helena DeVore, Peoples Academy Middle Level, Morrisville

3rd Place: Ava Stratman, Peoples Academy Middle Level, Morrisville

Region Two (Chittenden County):

1st Place: Maelyn Slavik, Edmunds Middle School, Burlington

2nd Place: Hanna Schold, Mater Christi School, Burlington

3rd Place: Britta Fitzgerald, Edmunds Middle School, Burlington

Honorable Mentions: Tegan Bushey and Isa Cramer, Edmunds Middle School, Burlington; Elle Lipkin, Lake Champlain Waldorf School, Shelburne

Region Three (Addison, Rutland, and Bennington Counties):

1st Place: Levi Stoll, Maple Street School, Manchester Center

2nd Place: Timmy Fitzsimmons, Maple Street School, Manchester Center

3rd Place: Madison King, Mount Abraham Union Middle School, Bristol

Region Four (Orange, Windsor, and Windham Counties):

1st Place: Declan Read-Murrell, Upper Valley Waldorf School, Quechee

2nd Place: Ezra Keim, Hilltop Montessori School, Brattleboro

3rd Place: Ashton Perkins, Upper Valley Waldorf School, Quechee

Hildene extends congratulations to all participants for thoughtfully tackling such a complex topic. Each student received acknowledgment and guest passes to visit Hildene and is encouraged to continue fostering their engagement with history, innovation and learning.

You can find more information about the 2024 Lincoln Essay Competition winners and their chosen subject matter Here

Photos of the winners can be accessed through our media gallery Here

For more information about Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, please click Here

For media inquiries kindly contact Paul Slater, Marketing and Communications Director, at (347) 822-7424 or paul@hildene.org.