Students Published in National Essay Contest

Community Prep sixth-graders recently participated in the MAXCourage Essay Contest, a program that invites students in grades 5–8 across the country to reflect on moments in their lives when they demonstrated courage.

We are proud to share that two Community Prep students, Mia M. and Cody A., were selected to be published in this year’s anthology. Both wrote powerful essays that reflect thoughtful, honest, and courageous storytelling.

In May, Mia and Cody will travel to Boston to attend a luncheon with students who are also published from across the country, celebrating their achievement and the impact of their writing.

Inspired by the story of Max Warburg, the contest encourages students to connect literature, personal experience, and community values while strengthening their writing and critical thinking skills. Through this process, students are challenged to think deeply about what courage looks like in their own lives and how their experiences shape who they are.

Student essays are submitted anonymously to the MAXCourage Essay Writing Competition, where only about 2% of entries are selected for publication in the annual anthology The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond. 

Community Prep’s sixth-graders have built a strong reputation in this competition. Since first participating in 2023, the school has had multiple essays published each year, including two national winners. In 2023, Alejandro R. ‘25 was named a national winner, followed by Esmé F. in 2024. Last year, Lola R.’s essay was also selected for publication.

The program is led by sixth grade Language Arts teacher Amy Rojek, who guides her students through the writing process each year and helps foster the strong student voices reflected in this continued success.

Congratulations to Mia and Cody on this outstanding accomplishment, and to all of our students who continue to share their stories with courage.