English 10 Essay Winners

3/6/2026

All English 10 students research contemporary political, economic, social, educational, or environmental problems in Greater Cleveland, and write essays of 1000-1500 words, offer solutions, and defend their essays in presentations during class.

The English 10 Essay Prize is awarded to sophomores whose essays demonstrate superior achievement in research and composition, as judged by a panel of English teachers.

This year's winners are:

First place - Zaid Anwar '28
“The Paradox of Proximity: How Redlining and Institutional Neglect Poison Cleveland’s Residents”

Second Place - Luke Fioritto '28
“The Moral and Practical Implications: Urban Displacement in Greater Cleveland”

Third Place - Karan Bahl '28
“The Houses Cleveland Lost: Why Vacancy Demands a Preventative Strategy”

Honorable Mentions:

Leo DiSanto '28
“Addressing the Shock: Causes Behind and Solutions for Rising Energy Bills and their Effects on Low-Income Residents of Cleveland”

Ben Plesec '28
“Breaking the Cycle: Community-Based Solutions to Combat Cleveland Gun Violence”

Vijay Rao '28
“Trapped by ZIP Code: World-Class Medicine, Unequal Health”

Back

- The English 10 Essay Prize winners, from left: Congratulations to from left, Leo DiSanto (honorable mention), Luke Fioritto (2nd), Zaid Anwar (1st), Karan Bahl (3rd), Ben Plesec (hm) and Vijay Rao (hm).