Congratulations to our winners and thank you all for participating. Happy DNA Day!
Thank you for making this another successful year! We received many submissions from students in 39 U.S. states, and 28 non-U.S. countries. We would also like to thank the ASHG members who participated in judging the essays.
Certificates/Essay Feedback: Participation certificates and judging feedback for students can be received by contacting dnaday@ashg.org. Similarly, participation certificates for judges can be received the same way.
Essay Content Questions: Connect with a geneticists through ASHG’s GENE Network! This Network is made up of genetics experts who have volunteered their time to be a resource and answer your questions. ASHG has also created this DNA Day 2020 Info Handout with more information about this year’s question!
2020 Question
Ancestry testing is a form of direct-to-consumer genetic testing designed to inform customers about their genetic ancestry. There are generally three types of ancestry testing: Y chromosome testing, mitochondrial DNA testing, and autosomal DNA testing. If a person did all three ancestry tests, what types of information could they learn about their genetic ancestry and how does this genetic ancestry information compare and contrast with their cultural heritage (family traditions, etc.)?
2020 Winners
1st Place: Anisha Parsan, Grade 9
Teacher: Mr. Ricardo Garcia
School: Clements High School
Location: Sugar Land, Texas
2nd Place:Darren Lee, Grade 11
Teacher: Ms. Virginia Toepfer
School: Farmington High School
Location: Farmington, Connecticut
3rd Place: Jasmine Li, Grade 9
Teacher: Mr. Clyde Cao
School: Xi’an Liangjiatan International School
Location: Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
3rd Place: Ananya Raghavan, Grade 11
Teacher: Dr. Amanda Orenstein
School: Morris Hills High School
Location: Rockaway, New Jersey
Honorable Mentions
| Kaitlin Chung Corning Painted-Post High School Corning, NY Teacher: Mrs. Jennifer Deneka |
Isabella Stenhouse Stuyvesant High School New York, New York Teacher: Ms. Jessica Quenzer |
| Sarah Gates Arlington High School LaGrangeville, New York Teacher: Mrs. Suzanne Curtiss |
Albert Sung St. Andrew’s School Middletown, Delaware Teacher: Mr. Dan O’Connell |
| Wooseok Kim Seoul International School Seongnam-si, Gyeonggido [Kyonggi-do], South Korea Teacher: Mr. Eugene Lee |
Advait Thaploo Mira Loma High School Sacramento, California Teacher: Mrs. Rochelle Jacks |
| Claire Ku Oregon Health & Science University Portland, Oregon Teacher: Ms. DreeAnna Morris |
Emerson Utgaard Patrick Henry High School San Diego, California Teacher: Mr. Alexander Mangahis |
| Kristoff Misquitta Stuyvesant High School New York, New York Teacher: Ms. Jessica Quenzer |
Benjamin Yacht Plainview Old Bethpage John F. Kennady High School Plainview, New York Teacher: Mrs. Rohe Sheikh |
| Jonas Schwab Oregon Health & Science University Portland, Oregon Teacher: Ms. DreeAnna Morris |
Where in the world our submissions come from:
About the Contest
The contest aims to challenge students to examine, question, and reflect on important ideas and issues related to human genetics. Competitive essays are expected to convey substantive, well-reasoned, and evidence-based arguments that demonstrate deep understanding.
Essays are evaluated through three rounds of judging, and every essay is read by a minimum of three judges. Top-scoring essays have typically been scored by a dozen or more judges.
Read the 2020 DNA Day Essay Contest Announcement Press Release.
Questions/Comments: Contact dnaday@ashg.org