The participants’ entries for the 2025 de Courtivron Prize impressed the selection committee. Some authors challenged definitions of home, ancestry, gender, and identity. Others described language and cultural barriers and differences across generations. The entries examined the wonders and challenges of mixed-race, bicultural, bilingual, immigrant, and diasporic experiences. Committee members are extremely grateful to the authors for sharing these personal reflections.

First Prize

Miguel Chacon, “Tu guardaespaldas“, powerfully conveys the trauma caused by war and displacement, while also highlighting the strength and resilience of the author and their family. The weaving together of family, religion, and historic events is uniquely effective. The evocative title, the creative use of the epistolary form, and the sincere expression of appreciation for a parent’s sacrifice are touching and powerful.

Above: 1st Prize, Miguel Chacon, Course 6-3, Class of 2025

Second Prize

Adaya Sharma, The committee appreciated the vivid details of this essay, “I Don’t Deserve to Mourn” – the sunset against a backdrop of smog, the insects in the shower, the games with the speaker’s cousins. It is a nuanced portrayal of the frustrations and beauty of seeking connection and understanding in the country of one’s parents. The piece masterfully addresses themes such as being bicultural in a Western-centered environment, the push and pull of the country of their ancestors, and disconnection and longing. Culture and language, time and space, are adeptly highlighted throughout the story.

Above: 2nd Prize, Adaya Sharma, Course 21E, Class of 2028