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At the end of August three budding Wellington academics attended a very special Global Awards Dinner hosted by Oxford University. All three received commendations for their entries in the junior essay competition run annually by the John Locke Institute, which invited students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.
Posed with the question ‘What existential threat are humans underestimating?’ Matthew based his answer on the dangers posed by antibiotic resistance; Melissa warned about excessive consumerism and the way that greed underpins so many other threats, while Aurelia’s response explored the growing transhuman movement and the theory that humans can evolve beyond their current physical and mental limitations by means of science and technology. All three relished the chance to research a topic in depth, and particularly enjoyed the opportunity of meeting other students from around the world, many of whom had travelled from countries such as Australia, South Korea, the USA, and China.
The Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers by showing independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning and critical analysis. As well as the formal dinner, a highlight of the evening for the three Wellingtonians was hearing the various ways in which the essay titles could have been interpreted, and the insightful way other students discussed their chosen topics.
Congratulations go to Aurelia, Melissa and Matthew, and we wish them the best of luck as they continue to pursue their academic goals of either studying at Oxford, Cambridge, or Ivy League Universities.
