Hannah Devlin is a freshman at Fordham University, where she intends to complete an Accelerated Master’s Program in education in hopes of becoming an elementary school teacher. She has always enjoyed a wide variety of music and her love of the Beatles inspired her to write about their impact on the music industry.

Sebastian Diaz is a first-year student at Rose Hill. With a deep appreciation for films and the stories they tell, Sebastian is majoring in both Journalism and Film/TV. He loves exploring the relationship between life and art, which is what inspired him to write this essay and pursue documentary film-making.

Laura Grogan is a freshman at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus where she plans to major in Communications and Media Studies. She is from Westchester, New York and has always wanted a career in New York City. She has recently gained more interest in writing and hopes to take more English classes while at Fordham. Outside of academics, Laura enjoys photography, art, and traveling.

Lillian Hohag is a freshman at Fordham University Rose Hill. She plans to major in Journalism and minor in Sports Journalism. She was raised in Minnesota, where she enjoys spending time with her family and pets. Lillian is committed to spreading awareness about chronic illness and the dangers of mold.

Tierney Kulju is a freshman at Fordham College at Rose Hill, where she is studying Biological Sciences. She was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and loves going to museums of all kinds, taking English classes, and watching obscure documentaries. Her passion for anthropology from a young age inspired this essay.

Kate Laboda is a freshman at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. She plans on majoring in Biology, and after Composition II helped realize her love of writing, is hoping to add English into the mix. She is originally from Seattle, Washington, where her love of the ocean and its creatures began. Since second grade, she has dreamed of becoming a Marine Biologist. This passion for our ocean world is what inspired this essay.

Leah Langhoff is a freshman at Fordham University at Rose Hill. She plans on majoring in English with the hopes of pursuing a career as an editor. In her free time, she enjoys writing, drawing, listening to music, and spending time outdoors. This essay was inspired by her appreciation for the natural world, and her own experience as a person who follows a plant-based lifestyle.

Nora Leach is a rising sophomore at Fordham College Rose Hill and plans on majoring in English. She is from Massachusetts and enjoys traveling with her family and playing the piano. Her newfound love for New York City and enthusiasm for volunteering in the community inspired this essay.

Eric Lucido is a freshman at the Gabelli School of Business, where he is studying global business. In his free time, Eric enjoys photography, museums, and NYC restaurants. His passion for social justice and its relation to the business world inspired the theme of his essay.

Taylor Manookian-Gregory is a first-year student at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus with the intention to major in English. Originally from Connecticut, her genealogy comes from Armenia. Her favorite part of open-ended assignments is that they allow her to talk about the goings-on in her homeland.

Ashley Morales is a sophomore at Fordham College Rose Hill and is pursuing a major in Environmental Studies with a minor in Spanish. She also has a strong interest in the media and the messages it sends, as reflected in her essay. Outside of school, she enjoys watching movies and binging TV shows. 

Olivia Nast is a freshman at Fordham University, planning to major in Film and Television with a minor in Business Administration. She is from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, and in her free time enjoys singing, writing, attending the theatre, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends.

Sarah Shanahan is a freshman at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus, where she plans to major in Political Science and English. Originally from New Jersey, Sarah is involved in student government committees, the MODE Fashion Magazine, and the Mimes and Mummers production team. Her interests in research and societal trends are what helped to guide her essay.