This year's Youth Platform Awards Ceremony was a huge success; thank you to all of the students, parents, and teachers who participated. Thirty finalists from around the world gathered in Washington, DC to discuss their essays and participate in the Gulen Institute's Award Ceremony.  The trip began at George Mason University, where Dr. Tom Gage, co-chair of the youth platform, led the students in a discussion of this year's prompt: "Hospitality in the Global Village."  Students presented their essays to their academic peers, and together they discussed the complexities of immigration and identity politics.  We at the Gulen Institute were inspired by the students' thoughtfulness and openness toward each other; even while they were visiting the monuments and museums of DC,they continued sharing their ideas and experiences.  We hope that they left DC with a new appreciation of the thoughts and opinions of their peers from around the world, as well as confidence in their own ability to engage with issues of political importance.

George Abraham from Florida took first place for his essay: "Immigration and the Artistic Sense of Cultural Identity".  Gawoon Shim from South Korea received second place for his essay: "Hosts and Guests: We Must Learn to Live Along".  And Vaishnavi Rao from California won third prize for her essay: "The Immigration Challenge: The Role of the Indian Government in the Future of Assam".

We congratulate all contest participants, their parents, and their educators and wish them the best in their future academic endeavors.