Outstanding Young Writers Awarded at Essay Competition Prize-Giving

Earlier this year, a panel of Magdalene Fellows selected the best entries to the Armstrong Arts and Humanities Essay Competition.

First Prize was awarded to Ciara Potter from Backwell Secondary School in Bristol. Second Prize was jointly awarded to Anna Hall from Tiffin School, Kingston-upon-Thames, and Astrid Gignoux from St Bartholomew’s School, Berkshire. Third Prize was awarded to Cerys Burch from Carmel College in Merseyside.

Honourable Mentions were also awarded to Esmee Cadogan (St Dominic’s Sixth Form College, North West London); Philippa Knight (The Blue Coat School, Oldham); Scott McArthur (Ysgol Friars, North Wales); and Vanessa Leung (Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, Hampshire).

The winning essays covered a diverse range of topics from across the arts and humanities, from the ethics of punishment to the consequences of translation. Judges Professor Silke Mentchen and Dr Hannah Marshall were delighted to meet with the winners and their families, and shared advice about exploring the range of undergraduate degrees on offer at university.

The Master, Sir Christopher Greenwood, presented each student with a certificate and congratulated them on their achievements. The Master encouraged the winners to be proud of their successes, and seek to continue their academic studies at highly competitive universities.

As well as attending the prize-giving, the winners and their parents also made the most of their time in Cambridge by exploring Magdalene and other Colleges as part of the University Open Day. We wish them the best of luck with their forthcoming university applications.