Celebrating Excellence: Announcing the Winners of the 2025 IAACE Essay Contest

Celebrating Excellence: Announcing the Winners of the 2025 IAACE Essay Contest

We are thrilled to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the 2025 IAACE Essay Contest, which was centered around the inspiring theme Expanded My Horizons. This year’s contest showcased incredible talent, highlighting the transformative power of adult education in Indiana.

Drumroll, please! Here are the results:

🏆 1st Place Winner:

Victoria Chavez
Region 5
Wayne Township Adult Education

Victoria’s essay beautifully captured the essence of expanding one’s horizons through education, inspiring readers with her journey of growth and empowerment. Victoria will receive a $300 gift card.

🥈 2nd Place:

Gabrielle Lydick
Region 5
Wayne Township Adult Education
Gabrielle’s heartfelt essay demonstrated the profound impact of adult education on personal and mindset development. Gabrielle will receive a $200 gift card.

🥉 3rd Place:

Lincoln Morgan
Region 3
The Literacy Alliance
Lincoln’s essay was a thoughtful reflection on how education provides a pathway to new opportunities and a brighter future. Lincoln will receive a $100 gift card.

🌟 Honorable Mentions:

We also want to recognize the following participants for their exceptional essays that stood out among many inspiring submissions:

• Ryan Barker (Region 3, The Literacy Alliance)
• Jorai Jean Baptiste (Region 5, Warren Township Adult Education)
• Sonya Tharp (Region 3, The Literacy Alliance)
• Gharam Hasan (Region 3, The Literacy Alliance)
• Scarlett Luna (Region 3, The Literacy Alliance)
• Edison Anasi (Region 5, Wayne Township Adult Education)

Each of these writers brought their unique perspective to the contest, showcasing the transformative power of education in their lives and communities.

Join Us to Celebrate!

We invite all winners, honorable mentions, and supporters of adult education to join us at Adult Education Day at the Indiana State House on Tuesday, February 11, at 11:00 am ET. This special event is a chance to recognize these remarkable achievements and advocate for adult education programs across Indiana.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all participants. Your stories inspire us to continue our mission of promoting adult education and expanding horizons for all Hoosiers.

Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to RSVP for Adult Education Day at https://iaace.com/adult-education-day/ by February 9.

Jenn Wigginton

Jenn is the IAACE Executive Director. Her passion for adult education shines through in everything she does for IAACE. You can invite her to a chat for questions anytime. Click here to book a time to chat with Jenn