The Seattle Public Library Foundation is pleased to announce the three winners of the 2023 Stim Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship.
First-place winner Sonia Kamineni and runners-up Cecelia Pyfer and Anne Welman each won tuition support from the Foundation by writing essays on courageous Washingtonians who improved their communities by fighting for their ideals.
In its 10th year, the essay contest honors the legacy of the late Library supporter, community leader, and activist Stimson Bullitt, who believed that civic leadership could make a lasting positive impact on society. The contest challenges local high school and college students to write an essay about an individual or group from our state who demonstrated the courage to advance an important community issue at great personal, political, or professional risk.
Each year, $10,000 is divided among three outstanding students and their essays are permanently cataloged in The Seattle Public Library’s Seattle Room.
We are grateful for the time and efforts of the authors who judged the finalists: Stacy D. Flood, Jon Krakauer, and Kristen Millares Young.
Congratulations to our winners!
Sonia Kamineni
$5,000 scholarship
School: Ingraham High
Library Branch: Greenwood
Read the essay: “Ramona Bennett”
Cecelia Pyfer
$2,500 scholarship
School: West Seattle High
Library Branch: Southwest
Read the essay: “Earl George: The Battle for Labor and Civil Rights”
Anne Welman
$2,500 scholarship
School: Ballard High
Library Branch: Greenwood
Read the essay: “Women Against Thirteen: Upholding Local Queer Rights”
Learn more about the Stim Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship.