Thales College, a liberal arts and professional education institution based in Raleigh, North Carolina, hosted an international essay contest for high school students. In line with its tradition of publishing rising thinkers alongside established humane voices, The University Bookman is publishing the top two essays from the contest. Look for details on the 2025 contest at Thales College website, ThalesCollege.org.
Each essay responded to the following prompt:
Individualism—understood as rugged self-reliance and an independent spirit—is a time-honored principle of American identity. However, a focus on the individual can also encourage self-absorption, which leads to poor life choices and societal decay. What is the best way to think about individualism as you prepare to step into adulthood? How can your generation avoid the pitfalls of self-obsession while promoting a virtuous American individualism?
1st Place
2nd Place
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