Established in 1989, the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program recruits and educates the top Liberal Arts students in the country. Through a close-knit community of students and faculty, unique research and service projects, and other academic enrichment opportunities, Dedman Scholars build the experiences and skills that allow them to successfully compete with the best students in the world by attending a world-class research university that provides them with enriching opportunities in education and research. The program also supports its scholars with generous scholarship funds, giving them the financial freedom to focus on their academic pursuits.
“The objective of the Program is to provide the nation’s top young minds with the educational experience of a lifetime. The program strives to offer these students the freedom – both financial and intellectual – and the opportunities to pursue their highest selves.”
-Robert and Nancy Dedman
Given the goals of the Dedman family, all scholars are expected to succeed in one or more of the following ways: compete for prestigious post-baccalaureate awards such as Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman; earn admission to the world’s most prestigious graduate and professional programs in liberal arts, sciences, medicine, law, and business; or begin careers of distinction in the for-profit, non-profit, or government sectors.
DEDMAN VIRTUES
Dedman Scholars belong to cohorts organized by entering class, with each cohort named after a Dedman virtue: humility, sacrifice, courage, conviction, honor, compassion, integrity, and honesty. These eight virtues also reflect the character attributes that Robert Dedman upheld in his own life and identified as the foundation for his success.
To learn more about the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program, please visit our page.
About the Competition
As the Scholars know, competing with the best students in the country requires success in many areas, including scholarship, leadership, service, and research. In all of these areas, effective communication, and especially the ability to write clearly and with purpose, is the foundation of success. Thus, Dedman Scholars work to improve their communication skills through regular practice of their abilities in writing, argumentation, and presentation.
Through the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Essay Competition, our program aims to help high school students do the same by emphasizing and improving their communication skills with a focus on writing at the college level. We hope that students who compete and use the provided resources are able both to write more effective college admissions essays, but also write more effectively once they reach college.
We are happy to present to you the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Essay Competition. The program and its scholars hope that high school students will find the competition to be inspirational, rewarding, and beneficial as they prepare themselves for success in college and beyond.
Application Instructions
The prompt for the 2026 Dedman Essay Competition will be posted in February 2026, with submissions due by April 29, 2026. See the 2025 prompt below as an example.
The essay itself is limited to 4,000 characters, which is about 750-800 words. Judges will review essays and score them based on a number of factors including:
Adherence to the prompt
Originality and creativity
Grammar and mechanics
Organization and presentation
Ability to inspire and evoke emotion
Please keep all 5 judging criteria in mind when writing and submitting your essay.
2025 PROMPT
The 2025 competition will close on April 30, 2025. The portal to submit the application is available at this link.
Conviction is often hailed as the courage to stand by one’s beliefs in the face of opposition. But when does conviction become obstinance? Is there a point at which standing firm in one’s principles ceases to be a virtue and instead becomes resistance to growth? History, philosophy, and your own personal experience may show that the distinction between these two qualities is not always clear. In a well-argued and compelling essay, explore the fine line between conviction and obstinance.
WINNING ESSAYS
Winning essays will receive a certificate from the program along with one of the following cash award prizes:
First place
Second Place
Third Place
Honorable mention #1
Honorable mention #2
$1,500
$1,000
$500
$250
$250
RULES
Only sophomores and juniors currently enrolled in a public or private high school in Texas are eligible to apply
Essays must be the original work of student entrants
Winning students must submit documentation from their high schools showing their enrollment status
Each student is allowed only one entry in the competition per year
Essay forms must be fully completed using the link above for submission to be valid for the competition
Winners must agree to submit and allow brief biographical information to be posted on the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Essay Competition website and in other materials
Winners will be required to create a UT EID and submit a payment address with the University.
Winners do not have to attend UT Austin in order to receive their funds. The cash awards can be used for any school.
Students can also review the Writing Resources page to find information about how to craft an effective essay. The resources listed on that page are commonly provided to students at UT Austin to help them write effectively at the college level. Winning essays are expected to be written at that level as well, so all entrants should review and make use of the information provided when crafting their essays.
I am an incoming senior at Lawrence E. Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas. I partake in numerous extra-curricular activities that involve giving back to my community. As the Vice President of UNICEF and Chief Sales Officer of EVO, I hope to make a long-lasting impact on children in need. With UNICEF, I have been able to host a variety of events to raise awareness and funds to support refugee children. With EVO, I have been able to create a product to promote English Literacy which has ultimately ranked second nationally within the Junior Achievement company. After high school, I am planning on going down the pre-med route and gaining a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. Overall, I value forming deep connections with other people and surrounding myself with individuals I can grow along with.
2nd Place
Rio Kato
Clear Lake High School – Houston, Texas
Rio is a junior at Clear Lake High School in Houston, TX. She serves as secretary for her school’s FFA organization and Model UN club. Moving from Japan last summer, she is also the 2024 representative for the Children’s World Summit in Tokyo. Rio volunteers for a non-profit organization that seeks to provide education for developing countries in East Asia. The main activities are creating and publishing books in English for children to use. She cares deeply about ensuring high-quality education for all. Outside of her passion, Rio loves to spend time with her friends and play the guitar. She often bakes cakes to practice for her next FFA contests as well. In college, she plans to major in international relations with a minor in education. Rio plans to receive education in Japan or the U.S. and work in the international field in the future.
3rd Place
Sophia Agboiyi
Elkins High School – Sugarland, Texas
4th Place
Saanvi Vinod
Panther Creek High School – Frisco, Texas
Saanvi Vinod is a rising junior at Panther Creek High School in Frisco, TX, with an immense passion for medicine. She conducts neurology research at a local university and volunteers at a hospital, finding joy in serving others. Saanvi expresses herself through writing as a member of her school’s yearbook staff and is an International Top Ten Finalist for creating a startup focused on women’s safety in third-world countries. She is passionate about activism and advocates heavily for women’s rights initiatives and youth representation. She is part of her district’s Superintendent Council and works with others to improve the educational curriculum for all. In her free time, Saanvi enjoys spending time with her family, hanging out with friends, and playing with her dog, Archie. Looking ahead, she plans to pursue a pre-med track and travel the world, making memories and meeting new people along the way.
5th Place
Grace Maeng
Memorial High School – Corpus Christi, Texas
Grace Maeng, a rising junior at Veterans Memorial High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, distinguishes herself through academic, musical, and community achievements. Since 2023, she has led health awareness initiatives and attained state-level recognition in Health Education through HOSA. A dedicated musician for over a decade, Grace’s musical journey showcases her talent with Superior ratings at the Student Affiliate Preparatory Piano Performance Competition and UIL Piano competitions, culminating in the 2024 Outstanding Performer Award. Beyond her musical pursuits, Grace participates in NHS and SNHS, volunteering at Christus Spohn Hospital, reflecting her keen interest in biology and biochemistry. In her free time, she loves reading a good book, swinging a racket on the tennis court, and catching up with friends. Grace is committed to educational excellence by continuing into her secondary education and aims to firmly impact her community as she prepares for a future centered on healthcare and compassionate service.
2023 Winners
1st Place
Omar Reyes
The Awty International School – Houston, Texas
Omar is a curious and driven junior at the Awty International School who loves learning, especially about biology, medicine, and entrepreneurship. He spends time researching spinal cord injuries at Houston Methodist Research Institute and co-founded a startup called ReactGlove that helps people with Parkinson’s. Omar enjoys giving back through volunteering at the Museum of Natural Science and leading service projects for youth. He serves on both the Mayor’s Youth Council and the Police Chief’s Youth Advisory Board to tackle issues facing Houston teens. In his free time, you can find Omar fencing, picking up new skills like Python, or debating why LeBron is the GOAT. He looks forward to pursuing his diverse interests in college and beyond.
2nd Place
Meghana Kunapareddy
Tompkins High School – Katy, Texas
Meghana Kunapareddy is a senior at Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas. As president of her school’s speech and debate team, Meghana LOVES to talk. She is extremely passionate about sustainability, hosting a podcast called The Sustainabilidate alongside leading climate curriculum and recycling efforts across Texas. As part of Columbia’s Eco-Ambassador team, she cares deeply about educating youth on the climate disaster and promoting viable solutions. Outside of her passion for advocacy, Meghana loves to spend time with her friends and family and try new cuisines (or recreate them in her own kitchen!). In college, she plans to major in sustainable business with a minor in public policy. In the future, Meghana hopes to pursue a career in business law, specifically focusing on merging environmental law with business.
3rd Place
Elaine Do
Franklin High School – El Paso, Texas
Elaine Do is a junior at Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas. She is the state Area 2 Vice President for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), her chapter’s Math Team President, and a Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) member. Elaine advocates for quality education, promoting tutoring and academic clubs to help everyone gain knowledge, competition experience, and have an outlet for their intellectual curiosity. When not in school, she loves spending time with her family and has hobbies of reading, drawing, and practicing the piano. She has a great passion for learning anything from calculus to philosophy. In the future, Elaine hopes to become an orthodontist so she can help those in her community find their smile.
Honorable Mention
Erica Li
Clifton High School – Clifton, Texas
Erica Li is a senior at Clifton High School in Clifton, Texas. She is heavily involved in band, Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, student government, and her school’s journalism team. In these extracurriculars, Erica is passionate about community involvement and commitment to personal growth. Erica loves anything STEM-related and enjoys collaborating in her computer science class and Girls Who Code program. She believes in the power of technology to change the economic issues we face today. She aspires to positively impact the world and desires to contribute to the ever-evolving field of STEM. In her free time, she loves to read, write, code projects for game development, bake, volunteer at her local animal shelter, and spend time with family and friends. In college, Erica hopes to enter business with a concentration in management information systems which reflects her desire to blend technology with managerial skills
Honorable Mention
ZeMichael Atnafu
Richard Montgomery High School – Rockville, Maryland
ZeMichael Atnafu is currently a junior at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, MD. He serves as a member of the Student Member of the Board’s Advisory Council and is the Youth Representative for RM’s PTA. He also writes for the school newspaper, volunteers at the Ethiopian Community Center, and is heavily involved at Church. In his free time, he loves going to Church, learning new things, and meeting new people. With a deep love for the social sciences & humanities as well as Christianity, ZeMichael wants to become a policy maker & priest in the future.
2022 Winners
1st Place
Fatoumata Traoré
Longview High School, Austin, Texas
I am currently a sophomore at Longview High School in Longview, Texas. I’ve always been about giving back to people who need it most; likewise, I value being relatable to those around me because I know how it feels to be alienated. One of the many activities I indulge in is playing volleyball at the varsity level and Club volleyball outside of school. I correspondingly intern at my local art museum, where I enjoy working on my professionalism while incorporating my passion for the arts. Beyond sports, I am a National Honor Society member and partake in the Environmental club, Mental health club, and Zonta club. Following high school, I plan to pursue a Business Law major and hopefully, one day, start my firm.
2nd Place
Savannah Miller
Kincaide School, Houston, Texas
Savannah Miller is a junior at the Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas. As a member of her school’s debate team, she enjoys argumentation and research, along with public policy, as an aspiring lawyer in public international law. Savannah’s other passions lie in learning languages (she loves studying both French and Spanish and hopes to become a polyglot) and mentoring middle school students and ninth graders in their transition to high school. Additionally, Savannah is co-president of the Wellness Committee at her school which promotes physical, mental, and emotional wellness through movie nights and wellness-themed days. Outside of school, Savannah can be found knitting, reading, watching Netflix, playing board games, and petting one of her three dogs.
3rd Place
Madisyn Bedair
Madisyn Bedair is a junior at Gladewater High School in Gladewater, TX, and is very active in her school and community. She is her theater department’s stage manager and a member of the National Honor Society. In her school’s band program she serves as the clarinet section leader and has made the All-State Band for two years and counting. Because of her passion for music, Madisyn also volunteers her time playing in the East Texas Symphonic Band. Madisyn is also a founding member of The Bear Necessities, a student-run leadership and service program where she mentors younger students and betters her community. In her rare moments of spare time, Madisyn can be found with a good book, baking, or on a spontaneous road trip. At the top of her class, Madisyn plans to continue her education, major in architecture, and leave her mark on the world.
Honorable Mention
Iris Cheng
Seven Lakes High School, Katy, Texas
Iris Cheng is a junior at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. She currently serves as captain of her school’s speech and debate team and loves anything related to national or state level politics. Within her local community, she contributes to Fort Bend County JudgeKP George’s Youth Leadership Program and the City of Houston’s Teen Court. As Chinese-American English Second Language (ESL) speaker, she embraces the collaborative power of linguistics and its capacity to bridge social, academic and professional disparities. Outside of debate and politics, she loves to ski, shop, and spend time with her little brother, Bennett Noah. In college, she plans to major in business or public policy with a minor in East Asian studies. In the future, Iris hopes to pursue a career in civil or corporate law with a special interest in representing women of color in the field.
Honorable Mention
Margaret Jordan
Highland Park High School, Dallas, Texas
My name is Margaret Jordan and I am a rising senior at Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas. I’m a pitcher on the varsity softball team and I enjoy spending time with my teammates on and off the field. Apart from softball, my favorite hobbies are drawing, painting, and sculpting. Since elementary school, I have dreamed of being a doctor. I plan to carry out with that dream and pursue medical school after college.
2021 Winners
1st Place
Avery Wayne, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Austin, Texas
Avery Wayne is a junior at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, whose passions include art, economics, and East Asian studies. She is the president of the Food Sustainability Club, and tutors at the Writing Center. Outside of school, she volunteers at the Blanton Museum at UT, and is currently interning at art business start-up Alpha’a. Avery also served as a Youth Jury member at this year’s Aspen Shortsfest, and hosted a ConnectHer film screening on environmental feminism. In her free time, she writes on her blog Opinion Redacted and makes art: films, photography, collage work, and digital art. In the future, Avery hopes to develop her passions while remaining intellectually curious and making a community and global impact.
2nd Place
Emilie Grace Baillo, Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School, Austin, Texas
Emilie Grace Baillo is a junior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School in Austin, Texas. As one of the leaders of her school’s Minorities in Math club, Emilie’s passionate about making STEM more accessible to low-income and underrepresented communities. Her club’s Math Circle, which hosts math presentations and activities for middle schools in their area, hopes to demonstrate that math is something that adds beauty to the world and everyone can enjoy. Emilie is also a high school mentor for Verizon Innovative Learning, where she encourages middle school girl mentees to set and pursue goals for themselves related to career, academic, personal, and cultural development. In college, Emilie plans to go into engineering to develop technology that mobilizes communities of color with information about their health. In her personal life, Emilie loves cooking, reading, writing, and spending time with her family dog Datu (meaning chieftain).
3rd Place
Marcus Aguilar
Honorable Mention
Kawsar Yasin, Tyler Legacy High School, Tyler, TX
Kawsar Yasin is a junior at Tyler Legacy High School in Tyler, TX. Being heavily involved in her school’s debate team and visual arts program, she’s come to realize the power of expression, whether that be through words or through her art. For example, this past year, she created her art portfolio in her AP studio art class to reflect and portray the daily struggles and triumphs of immigrants in the United States. Outside of debate and art, she can often be found trying out different boba flavors, making a mess in the kitchen by baking (or at least trying to), and reading books on United States foreign policy. After high school, she hopes to study in a field similar to global health, foreign relations, or biochemistry with plans on attending medical school.
Honorable Mention
Luisa Mao, Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School, Austin, Texas
Luisa Mao is a junior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School in Austin, Texas. She loves anything math or science and enjoys working with other students who are excited about STEM at her school’s math and computer science clubs. She believes in the power of STEM and its spirit of collaborative innovation to help current social and environmental issues to better the world in the future. She currently serves as a U.S. ambassador for the Youth Leadership Program to Fiji, Tonga, and Tuvalu in a STEM-oriented project to pursue climate resiliency. In her freetime, she enjoys reading, writing, swimming, music, coding cool projects, and spending time with her friends and family. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in computer science. She isn’t entirely sure what she wants to do, but knows she wants to make a positive impact on the world.
Writing Resources
Dedman Scholars spend a considerable amount of time writing for their classes but also for their other academic and extracurricular activities. Some Scholars serve as writing fellows or mentors, others write for student magazines or other publications, and many perform significant writing in their internships or volunteering activities. The Scholars also know that the key to good writing is continuous effort: good writers are rarely born that way but instead become good because of practice and reflection on their own writing.
Below we have provided some resources to help you craft a strong essay for the competition but also to give you some guidance on more effective writing at the college level. These instructional resources cover a range of basic topics that serve as the foundation of strong essay writing, so we hope that you will consider using them to help improve your own entry in the competition.
Additionally, we hope that you use this competition to share yourself with us, but we also want you to be safe and healthy when sharing your story. This article offers a loving critique of using an essay such as this to share painful or traumatic experiences. An important quote from the article is “when at-risk students write about their pain and don’t get accepted, it could potentially devalue their pain, thus making the act of sharing mentally harmful.” The DDSP values the psychological safety of its students and that extends to you. Of course, you are free to write about what you wish, and we hope you share safely.
You can find more information on topics such as constructing thesis statements, writing introductions, writing conclusions, creating clarity, and editing your own writing at this website from the University Writing Center.
The University Writing Center (UWC) at UT Austin has provided all of these materials. The Department of Rhetoric and Writing at UT Austin directs the UWC, and highly-trained staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students support the center by working with students across the university to help them achieve their writing goals. The UWC sees thousands of students every year and is able to provide feedback on many aspects of writing and development of papers, theses, and even dissertations. For support on many more topics related to effective writing, you can visit the UWC website to browse their various free handouts.
You should also consider finding a writing style guide to help with various aspects of writing and word choice. Some popular general-purpose style guides include:
The Elements of Style (by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White)
Garner’s Modern American Usage (by Bryan A. Garner)
The Sense of Style (by Steven Pinker).
Many other writing guides exist, so you should find one that works best for you. For many newer writers, The Elements of Style is a great resource.
We hope that these resources serve you well both for the competition but also for writing your college entrance essays. If you join us here at UT Austin, or perhaps even as a Dedman Scholar, we hope that you will come to see the UWC as a great resource for your education throughout your time on campus.
