Student Essays

Nature’s Canvas

by Shivali H. Patra Amidst the forest’s vast and tangled green, I roam beneath the shadows and the light. Ancient trees whisper, yet remain unseen, And nature paints its canvas pure and bright. Among the roots that anchor in the earth, I tread the path where sunbeams...

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Criminal Politicians?

by Henry Ko, Palo Alto With the 2024 election just around the corner, the presidential candidates are narrowing down. One of the politicians who is running for president has a criminal record, and his running for the top spot in our nation has provoked some...

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When You Give Me Free Time

by K. L., Cupertino Imagine doing homework all day. That would be terribly boring. Everyone has hobbies, such as collecting quarters, playing Valorant past midnight, or trying out different makeup looks. While most of those activities sound fun, I like to spend my...

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Mark Rober: This Generation’s Bill Nye

By G. W., Los Altos One click is all it takes to access the world. Science, art, video games, and political commentary—these are just some of the topics which the millions of YouTube videos uploaded to the site each day cover. With so much content, what really stands...

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Healthy Competition, Healthy Kids

by L. L., Los Altos Andrew Whitworth, a successful NFL athlete, once said, “If you’re a true warrior, competition doesn’t scare you. It makes you better.” But what is competition, at its core? Is it pitting students against each other and encouraging them to put...

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Weaving Through Traffic

by David L., Palo Alto Today, when you go to work, most of the roads you travel on are very congested and filled with cars. Even on the widest of highways, each lane is filled with hundreds of automobiles. With everyone trying to get to their destination safely,...

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Pledge of Allegiance

by Niveda A., Milpitas When I was in sixth grade, I was an incredibly nationalistic young person. I used to think that the United States was a flawless nation, including a perfect legal system, government, and society. Also when I was in sixth grade, every student was...

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Clothing in Anne of Green Gables

by Alice L., Cupertino In the book Anne of Green Gables, Anne undergoes many developments and changes as she grows up. Anne starts the story as an unloved orphan, but she ultimately grows into a young school teacher who can take care of others. From an ugly wincey...

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Chips

by N. W., Los Gatos The following essay was written as part of IYE’s biannual timed writing assessment. We’ve left in a few minor errors because the essay is well written. It’s impressive work, and even more impressive in that it was written in 45 minutes. Chips...

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