Herzog Foundation honors young essayists in Bill of Rights contest

Freedom is alive and well and filling the young minds of students in Christian schools and homeschools across the country.

That’s one takeaway from this year’s Herzog Foundation Bill of Rights essay contest. (Herzog is the publisher of The Lion).

Lillian McCulloch of Classical Consortium Academy in Barrington, Illinois, won the high school division and Harper Mixon of Second Baptist School University-Model in Houston won for middle school.

Four high schoolers and seven middle schoolers were runners up (listed below).

Students answered the questions, “What made the Bill of Rights revolutionary and unique at the time of its ratification? How has it shaped the United States and its citizens over the years?”

In her essay, McCulloch described how the Bill of Rights addressed the need for both freedom and order while protecting personal liberties.

“This most radical step towards the balance between the two essential human needs of order and freedom was revolutionary in its effectiveness, which surpassed that of its many predecessors,” she wrote. “In only ten succinct articles, it protected the balance between freedom and order through the simple act of affirming human rights.” 

Mixon said the document “is as revolutionary today as the day in 1789 when it was written,” adding a somber warning: 

“If Americans fail to fight the government to maintain the Bill of Rights, then liberty and the United States are lost. If the U.S. is lost, then the West is lost. If the West is lost, then the Eastern countries and communism will dominate the world,” she wrote. “The Bill of Rights and Americans’ will to fight for the unalienable rights given to them by their Creator has been and will be the force that saves the world from tyranny.” 

This year’s contest received more than 600 submissions, a record, with middle schoolers making up more than half of the total. 

Herzog Ambassadors, a one-year national outreach program for recent college graduates, served as contest judges. 

Madelyn Stout, an ambassador who studied political philosophy in college, said some of the high school submissions “felt like essays I could read in some of my coursework. It’s really inspiring to see the great quality we had.” 

Collin Bonnie, another judge, enjoyed essays that compared the U.S. “to other countries that don’t necessarily have the same rights that we do. 

“There was one in particular that said most governments in their constitution, they tell the people how or what to do, and in our Constitution it’s the other way around, where we tell the government what to do.” 

As the contest builds toward the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026, Herzog Foundation Chairman Todd Graves called the Bill of Rights “a cornerstone of American liberty for over 230 years, serving as a vital framework for our rights and freedoms.” 

With the approaching anniversary, “it’s more important than ever that young Americans grasp the historical significance and ongoing relevance of our foundational documents.” 

Darrell Jones, Herzog Foundation president, described the urgency Christian schools and educators face. 

“Now, more than ever, we must instill a sense of civic responsibility and appreciation for American values in the next generation,” he said. “It’s essential for families and educators to engage with our nation’s founding documents. The Herzog Foundation aims to honor students and schools that not only understand but actively celebrate our fundamental American beliefs.” 

First-place winners and their schools each received a $300 award from the foundation. Runners up and their schools received $150. 

The runners up are:  

High School: 

• Adison Kaspar (Kalos Christian Academy – Kansas City, MO) 

• Lauren Magers (Gloria Deo Academy – Springfield, MO)  

• Madelyn Schmeisl (Oakland Christian School – Auburn Hills, MI) 

• Audrey Weibert (Calvin Christian School – Escondido, CA) 

Middle School: 

• Benjamin Bandy (New Heights Christian Academy – Joplin, MO) 

• Annabelle Daugherty (Homeschool – Palmyra, TN) 

• Paloma Davis (St. Anthony of Padua School – Falls Church, VA) 

• Kelaiah Hermiller (Calvary Christian School – Bellefontaine, OH) 

• Olen Thompson (L.E.A.D. Academy – Pace, FL)  

• Amelie Sutingco (St. Leo the Great School – Fairfax, VA) 

• Ethan Williams (New Heights Christian Academy – Joplin, MO)