Aanya Kushwaha '29 Receives Junior Global Essay Prize

Aanya Kushwaha '29, a sophomore at Mount Saint Mary Academy, has been awarded the Junior Global Essay Prize in Psychology by the John Locke Institute.

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers. The competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum. Students may choose to focus on economics, history, international relations, law, philosophy, politics, public policy, science and technology, psychology, and theology.

“I was looking for competitions to give me opportunities to explore psychology, philosophy, and the modern world. I love investigating other point of views and wrestling with complex issues, so I was immediately attracted to the competition,” Aanya said. “I was especially excited by the concept of a 'difficult' question with many potential viewpoints. I chose psychology because I wanted to research whether a correlation exists between the number of mental health diagnoses and positive mental health.”

After researching scientific reports, the history, and other various opinions on the subject, Anaya realized, “I found that searching for evidence is more important than searching for information that supports my opinions.”

Aanya submitted her essay in April which analyzed the topic: “'Is mental illness being over-diagnosed these days or is it just more noticeable?”

“I wonder if that increase in diagnoses is really a step forward, or are we, at times, pathologizing normal emotional states,” explained Aanya. “I analyzed the history of mental health research, social media and its effects, new psychiatric diagnostics, and why we need awareness to reduce the stigma around the illness. I researched the idea that we're somewhere in between and that were discovering mental illness but being careful not to over-diagnose.”

“This was a really interesting topic for me as I am very interested in mental health, behavior, psychology, and technology,” she added. “Mental health problems are widespread across all age groups, and more especially so in teenagers. I was interested in ways that society can encourage good help-seeking and mental health normalization in an empathetic and responsible fashion.”

Aanya noted, “The aspect that meant the most to me was the fact that I was being evaluated by an international competition of students with a zest for learning and discovery. This experience has motivated me to continue to challenge myself academically and has also taught me that having genuine interest in a subject as a hobby can offer surprising benefits.”

At Mount Saint Mary Academy, Aanya has been a member of the school newspaper, Peeks, as well as the Euro Challenge team, Vice President of Girls Who Code, and Secretary of the Student Council during her freshman year.  Outside of the Mount, Aanya has participated in a coding workshop with Kode With Klossy by helping to build a mental health website. She has also participated in the Rutgers TARGET Engineering Program and the Girls Who Code Fall Program. She continues to pursue academic writing and research in psychology, philosophy and public policy. She seeks opportunities to teach academic concepts to children, and she has been able to explore those interests through activities in computer science, psychology, leadership, writing, and volunteering.

“In the future, I want to expand my knowledge on issues relating to psychology, AI, ethics, and public policy. I think essay competitions are a brilliant way to expand my learning beyond the classroom while also improving my research skills and ability to communicate effectively,” added Aanya, who expressed her gratitude to the Mount community and English Teacher, Maureen Brady, who reviewed her award-winning essay before it was submitted.

“Among the most significant lessons I have grasped is that excelling in school not only entails finding the correct solution but also being brave enough to ask difficult questions, defy popular ideas, and accepting others' perspectives,” concluded Aanya. “I believe this experience is a perfect example of the education of courage at the Mount Saint Mary Academy. It has inspired me to keep asking about what I love, step out of my comfort zone, and teach in a way that is helpful to another person.”