We at The Post wanted to inspire a new generation of journalists to inform, entertain, to hold power to account and to stand up for New Yorkers in the future.

Out of those conversations the New York Post Scholars Contest was born, in partnership with Command Education, a national leader in education and college consulting.

The contest was open to high school students living in the Tri-State area. We were delighted by the response—hundreds of students submitted eye-catching and well- researched news stories, opinion pieces and feature articles on a variety of topics, ranging from AI, advocacy for the disabled, to a school in need of a new building, and badminton.

The team and I spent hours combing through each qualifying article, looking for entries that showed a depth of research, quotes from those involved that brought the writing to life, and took in both sides of an argument. The exercise really did give us an invaluable insight into the lives of schoolkids today.

We also evaluated writing styles and the intrinsic interest of the selected topics. We received many entries that were brilliant and brave and controversial—in the finest traditions of the New York Post.

In this special Scholars section, we’ve included the top three submissions and 11 honorable mentions. We’re proud to recognize all of the writers published in this section with an invitation to the New York Post for a special Scholars Masterclass. The top three honorees will also receive an immersive New York Post Discovery Day tailored to their interests, a college prep training session with our partner, Command Education, and a grant for their school!

It is often seen as a bit of a cliche to say that it was very difficult to narrow down the winners in competitions of this type—but it really was!

I wanted to extend our appreciation to everyone who participated, because it is clear that an enormous amount of effort was put in by so many students who went above and beyond in fitting this into their extremely busy lives.

Congratulations to the 3rd annual class of New York Post Scholars!

— Keith Poole, Editor-in-Chief 

Olivia Gu Great Neck South High School, High school senior Leah Zelaya advocatesfor disability rightsbeyond the classroom

Kim Hong Holmdel High School Holmdel High School music teacher Katrina Roberts masters the choir — and so much more

Scheherazade Schonfeld Hunter College High School A consideration of the complicated future of artificial intelligence at Hunter College High School from available tools to ethical usage

Angela Li Queens High School Queens High School for the Sciences at York College is a school without a home

Celia Liu Benjamin N. Cardozo High School Educators are more drained than ever

Zack Leitner NYC School Why high schools should implement modern home economics

Ahana Gadiyaram Horace Mann How academic pressure and college admissions cause student stress

Isaac Carrillo Horace Greeley High School Online gambling on the rise among high school students

Veronika HuntTrinity SchoolHow endless scrolling across social media leads to insta-misery

Shiloh Dyall Achievement First Ujima High School Are popular phone stashers worth the money?

Drew Marturano The Pingry School Badly behaved parents ruin play—and deserve to be ejected

Michael Carone Jericho High School Jericho’s potential ban sparks debate as to whether students should be left to their own devices

Cleopatra Greengard Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School Lessons picked up in real life during a summer stay in Israel have lifelong impact and lead to authentic conversations 

Aiden Tsang Stuyvesant High School Badminton deserves more than a shrug from colleges

“We are honored to support Keith Poole’s vision through the New York Post’s 2025 Scholars Contest. Congratulations to all the outstanding finalists who demonstrated their passions and skills through this opportunity.”

 — Christopher Rim, CEO of Command Education