The Susan L. Weidenbach Essay Contest
This contest is sponsored by the Susan L. Weidenbach Fund and is open for submissions from any W course in the current semester. The winner receives a cash prize. For the 2025-2026 academic year, participants should submit one essay that represents your best work from your W class this semester.
The essay must include your name, your professor's name, the class for which the essay was originally written, and the date it was originally submitted on the first page. If the essay does not fit these parameters, it will not be accepted.
Your essay should be sent as a Microsoft Word document to Dr. Jennifer Juszkiewicz, the director of the Writing Proficiency Program, at the WPP email address: wpp@saintmarys.edu. Fall W students should submit by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10 and Spring W students should submit by April 29 at 5 p.m.
The Sister Franzita Kane Essay Contest
This contest is sponsored by the Susan L. Weidenbach Fund and is open for submissions from any course written in the past year. The winner receives a cash prize. For the 2025-2026 academic year, all current students are encouraged to submit their best work (15 page max) in the following categories. You may submit in more than one category, but essays considered in previous semesters are not eligible for consideration. Winners will be notified early in the summer and awards will be sent via mail. Beginning this year, senior comprehensives are not eligible for the contest.
- Peace & Justice: Focus on practical or theoretical strategies, or the promotion of peace and justice.
- Fine Arts & Literature: Present research on a literary, art, theater, or music topic or offer an analysis of a work from one of these areas.
- Science and Math: Entries in this category should foreground purpose and logical development of an argument in any area of math or science (math, physics, health sciences, chemistry, biology, neuroscience, engineering, or exercise science).
- Social sciences and History: Entries in this category should foreground purpose and logical development of an argument in any area of the social sciences or history.
The essay must include your name, your professor's name, the class for which the essay was originally written, and the date it was originally submitted on the first page.
Your essay should be sent as a Microsoft Word document to Jennifer Juszkiewicz, the director of the Writing Proficiency Program, at the WPP email address: wpp@saintmarys.edu by noon on Wednesday, April 29.