Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all who participated. Happy DNA Day!
2023 Question
In 2023, The American Society of Human Genetics celebrates its 75th anniversary! We want to kick off the festivities with you, the next generation of human geneticists. The theme of our celebrations is “One Humanity, Many Genomes™.” In your essay, explain what “one humanity, many genomes” means to you. Please be sure to include:
- Two examples of what makes our genomes unique
- How advances in understanding our genomes impact our lives, such as current and future research into medical treatments.
2023 Winners
1st Place: Jennifer Zhong, Grade 12
Teacher: Ms. Maria Zeitlin
School: Smithtown High School East
Location: Saint James, New York
2nd Place: Bolin Miao, Grade 10
Teacher: Ms. Mary Frances Hanover
School: Dana Hall School
Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts
3rd Place: Olivia Park , Grade 12
Teacher: Ms. Cindy Law
School: William Lyon Mackenzie C.I.
Location: Toronto, Canada
DNA Day Essay Contest from the Perspective of the 2023 Winner and Teacher
Honorable Mentions
| Yelizaveta Belova ATFITK Almaty, Kazakhstan Teacher: Ms. Dameli Oralovna |
Siwen Cui Kent School Kent, Connecticut Teacher: Mr. Jesse Klingebiel |
| Gabe Finger Smithtown High School East Saint James, New York Teacher: Ms. Maria Zeitlin |
Eve Lee Research Laboratory Academy Seoul Seoul, Republic of Korea Teacher: Ms. Deborah Lee |
| Harmony Heming LI Shanghai High School International Division Shanghai, China Teacher: Dr. Feifan Zhang |
Maria Mathai Waterloo Collegiate Institute Waterloo, Canada Teacher: Ms. Lauren Crosby |
| Oshadha Perera Southland Boys’ High School Invercargill, New Zealand Teacher: Mrs. Julia Shannon |
Mihir Relan DeBakey High School for Health Professions Houston, Texas Teacher: Mrs. Marla Maharaj |
| Dylan Shen Smithtown High School East Saint James, New York Teacher: Ms. Maria Zeitlin |
Chun Hei Tai St. Paul’s Co-educational College Hong Kong, China Teacher: Ms. Pui Lan Wong |
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 2023 DNA Day Essay Contest Announcement Press Release.
Questions/Comments: Contact dnaday@ashg.org