In CNTA’s annual essay contest, three area high schoolers each earn a $1,000 cash prize, and $500 for their respective schools.  Contest winners will be recognized at the annual Edward Teller Lecture and Banquet. To learn more about the essay contest, click here. To learn more about the Teller Lecture, click here. 

Here is a list of all the previous winners of the High School Essay Contest:

2024:

$1,000 Winners

  • Sonal Kapuria, Greenbriar High School, for “The transformational role of radioisotopes in medicine”
  • Grayson Fleury, North Augusta High School, for “The bright future of nuclear power”
  • Zhengyu “Jerry” Lu, Lakeside High School, for “Nuclear Medicine: Its Isotopes & Innovations”

$750 Winner

  • Coralyn Carins, Lakeside High School, for “Radioisotopes in Medicine: 21st Century Technology”

$500 Winners

  • Megyn Bolen, Home School, for “Radiation Rocks”
  • Paige Dayton, SC Governors School for the Arts, for “Nuclear Energy & the Colonization of Mars”
  • William Seigler, North Augusta High School, for “90 seconds”
  • Chassity Williams, South Aiken High School, for “The uses of medical isotopes”

2023:

$1,000 Winner

  • Kaeleigh Seigler, Aiken Scholars Academy, for “Nuclear Technology in Medicine”

$750 Winners

  • Alya Akhtar, Lakeside High School, for “Nuclear Technology Revolutionizing Today and Tomorrow’s Medicine”
  • Monica Burns, Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School, for “Nuclear Technology in the Medical Industry”

$500 Winners

  • Blaise Bell, Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School, for “How Nuclear Technology has improved the Medical Field”
  • Paige Dayton, South Carolina Governor’s School, for “Nuclear Science in Medicine”
  • Treshon Hinkins, Lucy C. Laney High School, for “Impact of Nuclear Technology on Medicine”
  • John Ledbetter, South Aiken High School, for “Clean Energy Sources and Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions”
  • Kaitlyn Redd, Williston Elko High School, for “Nuclear Technology in the Medical Field”
  • Maria Reyes, Mead Hall Episcopal School, for “Nuclear Medicine and How it Saves Lives”
  • Alan Sairany, Greenbrier High School, for “The Impacts and Implications of Nuclear Energy on Emerging Technologies”

2022:

$1,000 Winners

  • Dillon Hammell, Aiken High School, for “Isotopes in Medicine: How They are Used and Where we get them”
  • Adam Wallace, Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School, for “Nuclear Energy and Space Exploration”

$750 Winners

  • Matthew Miller, Spring Valley High School, for “Uses of Radioisotopes in Medicine and U.S Dependence on Foreign Supply”
  • Tyler Sims, Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, for “The battle for power: Nuclear energy vs. fossil fuels”

$500 Winners

  • Kaytlin Sturkey, Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School, for “Nuclear Technology and Space Exploration”
  • Azaria Martin, Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School, for “Discuss how electricity generated from nuclear power versus fossil fuels can impact global warming.”

2021:

$1,000 Winners

  • Benjamin DiPrete, Greenbrier High School, for “The Comparative Consequences of Energy.”
  • Brian Johnson, Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School, for “The Four Major Electrical Energy Sources.”
  • Rachel Walden, North Augusta High School, for “Environmental Impacts of Coal, Natural Gas, Nuclear and Solar Power.”

$500 Winners

  • Melissa Murph, North Augusta High School, for “Nuclear Technology vs Its Opponents.”
  • Madison Ackroyd, Aiken Scholars Academy, for “Nuclear Power: A Sustainable and Environmentally Safe Energy Source.”
  • Kaytlin Sturkey, Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School, for “How We Touch the Earth.”

2020:

  • Jackson Cozzi, South Aiken High School, for “Steps Towards a Stable Climate: Nuclear vs Fossil Fuels.”
  • Brandon Fu, Edmund Burke Academy, for “Nuclear Energy: The Way Forward.”
  • Colyn Morris, South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Math, for “The Road to Our Cleaner, Brighter Future.”

2019:

  • Shelby Coleman, South Aiken High School, for “How the Field of Medicine Benefits from Nuclear Technology.”
  • Zaenab Sanadiki, Greenbrier High School, for “The Contributions of Nuclear Energy to the Betterment of Earth.”
  • Charlton Hill, Aiken High School, for “Modern Uses of Nuclear Technology in Medicine.”

2018:

  • Alexander Bates – Lakeside High School
  • Caleb Kerr – South Aiken High School
  • Ankita Shah – Evans High School

2017:

  • Jared DeMass – Aiken High School 
  • Maxwell DiPrete – Greenbrier High School 
  • Justin McCorkle – Greenbrier High School 
  • Steven Poore – Silver Bluff High School ​

2016:

  • Reid DeMass – Aiken High School
  • Devin Fulmer-Key – Breezy Hill Homeschool Academy
  • Reagan Glover – North Augusta High School
  • Joshua Yates – Silver Bluff High School

2015:

  • Daniel Davidson – North Augusta High School
  • Caleb DiPrete – Greenbrier High School
  • Kiana Franklin – North Augusta High School

2014:

  • Jackson Poole – North Augusta High School
  • Phillip Wiggins – Greenbrier High School
  • Ayanna (Yanni) Woods – Greenbrier High School

2013:

  • Jenny Herbert – Lakeside High School
  • Golda Nguyen – Davidson Fine Arts School
  • Brian Reichel – Aiken High School
  • Rahul Shah – Evans High School

2012:

  • Geyi (Helen) Xiang – Evans High School
  • Stephen (Joey) Baldwin – North Augusta High School

2011:

  • Richard Bragg – Grovetown High School
  • Sierra Hovet – Evans High School
  • Sterling Tran – Lakeside High School

2010:

  • Jackie Rodrigues – Evans High School
  • Aubrie Fleming – Evans High School
  • Christina Snyder – Evans High School
  • Monica Ridlehoover – Evans High School
  • Genna Wyrick – Lexington High School