Westerville South Student Wins National Dickens Project Essay Contest

8/10/2012

Westerville South High School graduate Natalie Kopp and her English teacher, Michele Fuchs, have just returned from an all-expenses-paid, week-long conference at the University of California – Santa Cruz, where they engaged in an in-depth study of the works of author Charles Dickens. The trip was made possible because Kopp was one of just two students in the nation who won the seventh annual High School Student Scholarship Essay Contest, sponsored by the Dickens Project. Kopp, an International Baccalaureate Programme pupil, graduated in May and will attend St. Olaf College in Minnesota this fall.

Charles Dickens is considered by many to be the preeminent author of the Victorian era, not simply because he was so prolific in his writing, but also because he lived through, experienced, and wrote about many of the issues that came to define that era. He chronicled the tragedies and triumphs of his day.

Contestants were charged with selecting one of his novels and analyzing a topic or theme in the book. Kopp chose to write about A Tale of Two Cities, and she argued, eloquently, that his message was, “Individuals who wish to lead meaningful lives must not lose themselves mindlessly to the goals and purposes of groups and, most important, must retain and cherish their human connection.”

Submissions were judged on style, content, grammar, and the originality with which the student approached the topic. Judges looked for clear, concise writing that was intelligent, original, articulate, logically organized, and well-supported. Winning essays had to demonstrate excellent knowledge and understanding of themes and issues presented in the novel. Kopp’s winning essay, in its entirety, can be read at http://dickens.ucsc.edu/scholarships/hs-students.html.

For more than 30 years, The Dickens Project has brought together distinguished faculty, graduate students, and members of the general public for its yearly conference, The Dickens Universe. Hosted each summer on the beautiful Santa Cruz campus of the University of California, The Dickens Universe provides a unique opportunity for students and teachers of Dickens to interact with each other during a week-long program of lectures, seminars, discussion groups, workshops, social events, teas, films, and usually perfect weather.

For high school and community college students, The Dickens Universe provides a chance to study literature in a university setting with colleagues of all ages, and to network with English literature faculty from such prestigious universities as Stanford, Yale, Vanderbilt, Columbia, UC Berkeley, and other member institutions. For high school teachers, the experience is one of educational enrichment and innovative curriculum development with fellow instructors who share a passion for teaching.