Hoover Institution (Stanford, CA) — The Hoover Institution is proud to announce the winners and runners up of the American Experiment in Your Words, a spoken word competition honoring the 250th anniversary of American independence.
With over 170 entries across high school and college divisions, the competition challenged students from across the country to reflect on the relevance of America’s founding ideals to the nation’s civic life today.
Submissions originated from students attending schools and universities across 34 US states. Their spoken word pieces dealt with the legacy of the American founding, the continued relevance of the ideals articulated in the Declaration of Independence, and the responsibilities incumbent upon citizens and rising leaders today.
“Since this was Hoover’s first-ever spoken word competition, we were delighted that so many students took up our call to ‘Speak to the past, challenge the present, and imagine what comes next,’” said Hoover Institution Chief Creative Officer Shana Farley. “The submissions show that students are eager to reflect on our nation’s founding ideals and to put those principles into practice.”
Each winning contestant received $2,500 plus an invitation to Hoover’s upcoming Summer Board of Overseers meeting, where their accomplishments will be recognized. Runners up received a $1,000 cash prize.
College freshman Tessa Nielson of Utah won the college division with her entry, “Missing the Meaning.”
The college runner-up, Joseph Forrest of New Jersey, wrote and delivered the piece, “Hold the Line.”
High school sophomore Trevor Kim of California won the high school division with his entry, “The Page Awaits Our Names.”
The high school runner-up, Olivia Okeahialam of Alaska, submitted her original composition, “The Unfinished Blueprint.”
Videos of each winner and runner up delivering their spoken word will be posted to Hoover’s social media accounts. Follow Hoover on X, TikTok, LinkedIn, or Instagram to hear these thoughtful reflections on America’s founding values as they are posted.
This summer and fall, Hoover will sponsor additional contests celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, beginning with a short video creator competition open to students and adults, The Spirit of ‘76: Ideas in Motion.
Follow Hoover on social media and subscribe to the Hoover Daily Report to stay informed of all the Institution’s upcoming USA@250 competitions, events, and publications.
For additional information please contact hoovermarketing@stanford.edu.
