Pius X Senior Carly Twehous Wins 1st Place in National Essay Contest
Pius X senior Carly Twehous has been selected as the 1st place winner of a nationwide essay contest launched by John Paul the Great Catholic University (JP Catholic). From February 11th-15th, Twehous will be trading in her cold weather scarf for a pair of shorts as she enjoys her prize of an all-expense paid trip to visit the university located in San Diego, Calif.
Twehous was “very surprised and excited” to receive the phone call that her essay had been selected among submissions by high school students across the country in the contest “Impacting Culture: The Power of Story”. Twehous, who has been accepted to attend the JP Catholic, completed her essay in hope of a chance to visit the campus and see a glimpse of the life at the university.
JP Catholic launched the essay contest for the purpose of attracting potential students who embrace the school’s mission to “Impact Culture for Christ” through compelling stories. “We believe story is at the core of entertainment, which shapes our culture and society,” explains Martin Harold, Vice President of Admissions. “The purpose of the essay contest was to find students who show a remarkable ability to understand and analyze a compelling story.”
Harold had high praise for Twehous’ essay, which earned her the top prize. “Carly's essay was reviewed independently by three staff and faculty members, and she was the consensus winner among all three reviewers - there was no debate,” Harold says. “Her essay was penetrating in its analysis of a nuanced text, and we were particularly impressed with her ability to connect the narrative of The Man who was Thursday with the spiritual journey of its author G.K. Chesterton.” Harold also describes Twehous’ prose as “quite impressive, fluid, clear, and far more advanced than the average high school student.”
During her trip, Twehous will experience the life of JP Catholic from a student's perspective. She will have the opportunity to sit in on classes, see projects in-action, and get to know the university’s community. “We believe that Carly fits our mission to Impact Culture for Christ perfect and think she'll love the community she finds here at JP Catholic,” Harold reflects. 
Should she choose to attend JP Catholic, Twehous will be pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Communications Media, with an emphasis in Screenwriting, in this 3-year program that offers several areas of emphasis that prepare students in all facets of the film, TV, animation and video game industries. Twehous’ winning essay can be read online at: http://www.impactingculture.com/2014/01/23/power-story-winning-essay-submission/.
As the central Catholic high school in Lincoln, Pius X’s mission is to enrich the mind, heart and soul of each student through a Christ-centered, Catholic environment that provides academic excellence and preparation to achieve a meaningful, faith-filled life. Now in its 58th year and serving more than 1,100 students in grades 9-12, Pius X is guided by Pope St. Pius X’s motto, “Restore all things in Christ”.
