This is the motive and purpose of my writing: *the projection of an ideal man*. The portrayal of a moral ideal, as my ultimate literary goal, as an end in itself--to which any didactic, intellectual or philosophical values contained in a novel are only the means.

2005 The Fountainhead Essay Contest

The Fountainhead Essay Winners

Winners:

The Fountainhead Cover

First Place

  • Evan Storms, Laguna Hills, CA, Van Damme Academy
    Read Essay

Second Place

  • Catherine Banton, Woodinville, WA, The Bear Creek School
  • Christopher McCormick, Fort Wayne, IN, Wayne High School
  • Erik Miron, Billings, MT, Billings West High School
  • Sean Redmond, Torrington, CT, Torrington High School
  • James Tanner, Cambridge, MA, Cambridge Rindge & Latin School

Third Place

  • Afiba Aku, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, W.P. Wagner, School of Science & Technology
  • Sang Bin Hong, Yong In, KyongGi, South Korea, KMLA
  • Rachel Bristol, Minden, NV, Douglas High School
  • Kristen Davis, Stuart, VA, Homeschool
  • Kelli DeVaney, Las Vegas, NV, Palo Verde High School
  • Toby Huttner, Pittsford, NY, Pittsford Mendon High School
  • Kelsey Milne, Vancouver, WA, Mountain View High School
  • Andrew Richardson, Fletcher, NC, Asheville Christian Academy
  • Erin Smith, Waxhaw, NC, Weddington High School
  • Randal Staewen, Houston, TX, St. John’s School

Finalist

  • Yousef Abu Gharbieh, Granger, IN, Penn High School
  • Jared Alford, Rogers, AR, Rogers High School
  • Erica Alwine, Boring, OR, Estacada High School
  • Thea Beaty, Marathon, WI, Timaeus Christian Academy
  • Hannah Beavers, Kerrville, Texas, Tivy High School
  • Laura Cleveland, Stanfield, NC, West Stanly High School
  • Janelle Cummings, Anchorage, AK, A.J. Dimond High School
  • Liyue Deng, Calabasas, CA, Calabasas High School
  • Colin Downes, Scituate, MA, Scituate High School
  • Bryan Ellis, Sarasota, Fl
  • Lindsay Ethridge, Calhoun, GA, Calhoun High School
  • Andrew Gaines, Dublin, OH, Dublin Scioto High School
  • Joseph Gershenson, Hershey, PA, Hershey High School
  • Brian Gurewitz, Arlington Heights, IL, Buffalo Grove High School
  • Evan Hall, Luck, WI, Luck Public High School
  • Katy Hally, Dartmouth, NS, Canada, Dartmouth High School
  • Nathan Hayflick, Seattle, WA, Garfield High School
  • Jonathan Hinkle, Atlanta, GA, Northgate High School
  • Sarah Holdt, Scottsbluff, NE, Scottsbluff High School
  • Whitney Huber, Elk Grove, CA, Visions in Education Charter School
  • Paul Hunter, Oneonta, NY, Home Schooled
  • Ben Jacobs, Goshen, IN, Goshen High School
  • Boyan Kelchev, Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, Mathematical Gymnasium Konstantin Velichkov
  • David Lachut, Ft. Riley, KS, Junction City High School
  • Zachary Marine, Marshfield, WI, Marshfield High School
  • Matthew Messerschmidt, East Lansing, MI, East Lansing High School
  • AnnMarie Micikas, Highlands Ranch, CO, Denver Christian High School
  • Catherine Mitros, Flossmoor, IL, Marian Catholic High School
  • Stephen Nichols, Tacoma, WA, The Tacoma School of the Arts
  • Upasna Pandey, New Delhi, India, Bluebells School International
  • Adrienne Raphel, St. Johnsbury, VT, St. Johnsbury Academy
  • Desmond Rawls, Woodinville, WA, The Overlake School
  • Katherine Robinson, Riverton, NJ, Palmyra High School
  • Carol Rosanelli, Tucson, AZ, Sahuaro High School
  • Charli Sakari, Springfield, OR, Springfield High School
  • Margaret Scheffner, Union Grove, WI, Union Grove High School
  • Michelle Smith, Glendale, AZ, North Pointe Preparatory
  • Scott A. Steinschneider, Ridgewood, NJ, Ridgewood High School
  • Kate Thomas, Glastonbury, CT, Glastonbury High School
  • John Thorlin, Andover, MA, Phillips Academy
  • Eric Ward, Stockton, NJ, Princeton Day School
  • Cindy Watkins, Cave Spring, GA, Coosa High School
  • Michael Wight, Anchorage, AK, A.J. Dimond High School
  • Sydney Witzky, Franklin, TN, Franklin High School
  • Anne-Marie Zapf-Belanger, Toronto, ON, Canada, The Abelard School

Semi-Finalist

  • Kelly Acheson, Arlington, VA, Yorktown High School
  • Dylan Alban, Rhinebeck, NY, Rhinebeck High School
  • Marilag Angway, Bergenfield, NJ, Bergenfield High School
  • Jason Ash, Williamston, MI, Williamston High School
  • Troy Astorino, Laguna Hills, CA, VanDamme Academy
  • Sonia Balanay, Atascadero, CA, Ms. Harrison, Atascadero High School
  • Andrew Ball, Reno, NV, Earl Wooster High School
  • Ariel Barkhurst, San Antonio, TX, MacArthur High School
  • Diana Bennett, Raleigh, NC, Sanderson High School
  • Leah Bigbee, Fairhope, AL, Fairhope High School
  • Phillip Bonney, Edmond, OK, Edmond Memorial
  • Jacob Bornstein, Seattle, WA, Garfield High School
  • Alan Boswell, Aledo, IL, Aledo High School
  • Karrsen Brannon-Young, Anchorage, AK, A. J. Dimond High School
  • Amber Brantley, Salem, MO, Salem High School
  • James Brennan, Fremont, CA, Washington High School
  • Rebecca Brewer, O’Donnell, Tx, O’Donnell High School
  • Rainelle Bumbaugh, Bloomington, IN, Bloomington High School South
  • Kristen Bury, Sylvania, OH, Sylvania Southview High School
  • James Caldwell, Belcamp, MD, Aberdeen High School
  • John Calhoun, Anchorage, AK, A.J. Dimond High School
  • Allison Chua, Halifax, N.S., Canada, Sacred Heart School of Halifax
  • Damien Clark, Draper, Utah, Alta High School
  • Haley Cohen, Manalapan, NJ, Communications High School
  • Kelly Collins, Bayport, NY, St. John the Baptist High School
  • Gabriela Collins-Fernandez, New York, NY, The Bronx High School of Science
  • Jared Corbett, Franklin Square, NY, Holy Trinity Diosocean High School
  • David Crawford, Silver Spring, MD, Montgomery Blair High School
  • Tarek Dale, Melbourne, VIC, Atralia, Black Forest Academy
  • James Dama, Panama City Beach, FL, McCallie School
  • Amanda Davis, Armada, MI, Armada High School
  • Lauren DeBruin, Lake Mills, WI, Lake Mills High School
  • Ryan DeNardo, Downingtown, PA, Downingtown High School West Camp
  • Scott Dougan, Benicia, CA, St. Patrick-St. Vincent’s High School
  • Pedro Duran, Elizabeth, NJ, St. Mary of the assumption High Scholl
  • Rosalie Edmonds, Madison, WI, Madison East Senior High School
  • Eli Epstein-Deutsch, MA, Northampton High School
  • Emily Erbach
  • Karen Evans, Rochester, MN, Mayo High School
  • Jacob Filipek, Bismarck, AR, Bismarck High School
  • Samuel Fischgrund, Dunwoody, GA, Dunwoody High School
  • Jonathan Frochtzwajg, Tarzana, CA, North Hollywood High School
  • Amy Fulbright, Richardson, TX, Lloyd V. Berkner High School
  • Katherine Funke, Dubuque, IA, Hempstead
  • Casandra Gambill, Greenbrier, AR, Greenbrier High School
  • Kayce Gentry, Las Vegas, Nevada, Cimarron-Memorial High School
  • Ilona Gerbakher, Valley Village, CA, Taft High School
  • Melissa Gibson, Sanford, FL, Seminole High School
  • Ben Godby, Nepean, ON, Canada, John McCrae Secondary School
  • Alana Goulet, Rogers, AR, Rogers High School
  • Kira Greco, Amherst, NY, Williamsville North High School
  • Arpit Gupta, Asheville, NC, Carolina Day School
  • Lauren Guttormsen, Kenosha, WI, Tremper High School
  • Clayton Hainline, Albemarle, NC, North Stanly High School
  • Kim Hale, Yorktown, VA, York County School of the Arts
  • Chelsea Hansen, Fair Oaks, CA, Bella Vista High School
  • Casey Harris, Pewaukee, WI, Pewaukee High School
  • Marian Havach, Prairie Village, KS, Shawnee Mission East High School
  • Yizheng He, Westfield, IN, Phillips Exeter Academy
  • Erin Himes, Pittsford, NY, Pittsford Mendon High School
  • Antonia Hoyland, Raleigh, NC, Athens Drive High School
  • Michelle Johnson, Pleasant View, UT, Weber High School
  • Everett Jones, Ridgewood, NJ, Ridgewood High School
  • Kevin Jonke, Naperville, IL, Neuqua Valley High School
  • Kimberly Joyner, Ellenwood, GA, Clarkston High School
  • Robert Kane, Carolina, RI, Chariho Regional High School
  • Jennifer Karabin, Greenville, SC, Mauldin High
  • Daniel Keegan, Dover, NH, Dover High School
  • Casey K. Keith, Atascadero, CA, Atascadero High School
  • Michelle Kelly, Downingtown, PA, Downingtown High School West Camp
  • James Kelly, Sudbury, MA, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School
  • Joe Kessler, Vero Beach, FL, Vero Beach High School
  • Sarah King, Connersville, IN, King Academy
  • Sarah Kleinstein, Spokane, WA, North Central High School
  • Ellen Kletscher, Eagan, MN, Eagan High School
  • Gloria Lan, High Schoolinchu, Taiwan, National Experimental High School
  • Amy Laur, Kent City, MI, Sparta High School
  • Alice Lee, Niskayuna, NY, Niskayuna High School
  • Jessica Leithem, McCleary, WA, Elma High School
  • Alexandra Levy, Falls Church, VA, Thomas Jefferson High School
  • Darian Lewis, Kamloops, BC, Canada, South Kamloops Secondary School
  • Krista K. Lewis, Tecumseh, MI, Tecumseh High School
  • Shu Li, Pittsford, NY, Pittsford Mendon High School
  • Timothy Light, Lynchburg, VA, Brookville High School
  • Jay Littlefield, Copperas Cove, TX, Gatesville High School
  • Jingyi Liu, Los Angeles, CA, Beverly Hills High School
  • Kevin Longrie, Temecula, CA, Temecula Valley High School
  • Genevieve Lozier, Elkhorn, NE, Elkhorn High School
  • Jonathan Lurie, Davis, CA, Davis Senior High School
  • Sara Maatta, Manhattan, KS, Manhattan High School
  • Scott Mahar, Anchorage, AK, A.J. Dimond High School
  • Miranda Martin, Marietta, GA, Marietta High School
  • Katelyn Mason, Salem, OR, South Salem High School
  • Mollie McElroy, Downingtown, PA, Downingtown High School West Camp
  • Chelsea McHenry, Knox, Pa, Keystone Jr.-Sr. High School
  • Nicole McLaren, Pittsford, NY, Pittsford Mendon High School
  • Anne McMurray, Indianapolis, IN, North Central High School
  • Sveta McShane, Villanova, PA, Radnor High School
  • Tanisha Medina,, VA, Prince george High School
  • Dtin Meldrum, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, University Liggett School
  • Connor Mendenhall, Tucson, AZ, University High School
  • Maxine Mendoza, Jenkintown, PA, Jenkintown High School
  • Sarah Michalczuk, Arlington Heights, IL, John Hersey High School
  • Sarah Mills, Tucson, AZ, Tucson High Magnet School
  • Ali Mokhtarzadeh, Charleston, WV, George Washington High School
  • Jonathan Morrison, Amherstburg, ON, Canada, General Amherst High School
  • Nishant Nannapaneni, Bloomfield Hills, MI, Andover High School
  • Patrick Nanson, Thousand Oaks, CA, Agoura High School
  • Sam Nolen, Kingsport, TN, Sullivan South High School
  • Christina Norman-Gohn, Old Lyme, CT, Lyme-Old Lyme High School
  • William O’Grady, Atin, TX, America, S.F. Atin High School
  • Derek O’Leary, Westwood, MA, Westwood High School
  • Erik Olson, Bloomfield Hills, MI
  • Stephanie Panchision, Newport News, VA, Woodside HS
  • Amanda Parker, Gladewater, Texas, Bishop TK Gorman HS
  • Peter Pellegrino, Maple Grove, MN, Maple Grove Senior HS
  • Katherine Pelz, Silver Creek, NY, Silver Creek Central School
  • Jeremy Peterman, Ridgewood, NJ, Ridgewood High School
  • Tianyue (Katherine) Qu, Latham, NY, Shaker High School
  • Angel Rendon, Bronx, NY, A. Philip Randolph Camp HS
  • Sean Roche, Silver creek, NY, Silver Creek Central School
  • Michael Roenbeck, Freehold, NJ, High Technology HS
  • Christina Rolf, Valley City, ND, Valley City High School
  • Stephen Rooks, Griffin, GA, Griffin High School
  • Deana Rutherford, Chicago, IL, Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
  • Caitlin Ryan, Lindstrom, MN, Chisago Lakes High School
  • Rsell Ryan, Indianapolis, IN, North Central High School
  • Jessica Sabato, Downingtown, PA, Downingtown East High School
  • Lenwid Sandvick, Kenosha, WI, Lenwid Sandvick
  • Lakshmi Santhosh, Pleasanton, CA, Amador Valley High School
  • Katie Schladand, Georgetown, IN, Floyd Central High School
  • JJ Schumacher, Newport Beach, CA, VanDamme Academy
  • Kristin Schwab, Lutherville, MD, Friends School of Baltimore
  • Megan Selje, Rio, WI, Rio High School
  • Sreya Sengupta, Vero Beach, FL, Vero Beach High School
  • Kristen Shaw, St. Catharines, ON, Canada, St. Catharines Collegiate Institute
  • Brady Sherard, Beaverlodge, AB, Canada, Beaverlodge Regional High School
  • Sie Shutts, Cincinnati, OH, Sycamore High School
  • Christopher Slijk, Aliso Viejo, CA, VanDamme Academy
  • Rebecca Smith, Lewistown, MT, Ferg High School
  • Katie Smith, Jacksonville, Fl, Stanton College Preparatory School
  • Kelli Smith, Rochester, NY, Greece Arcadia High School
  • Elizabeth Smith, Westerville, OH, Westeville North High School
  • Sarah Sonray, Anchorage, AK, A.J. Dimond High School
  • Shane Spencer, Clarksville, MD, Atholton High School
  • Rebecca Starke, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Christian Heritage School
  • Dantzel Stoker, Marysville, WA, Lake Stevens High School
  • Michael Stonesifer, Luck, WI, Luck Public High School
  • Jamie Straw, Mechanicsburg, PA, Cumberland Valley High School
  • Meghan Stuart, Exeter, ON, Canada, South Huron District High School
  • Nicholas Stucky-Mack, Carlsbad, NM, Carlsbad High School
  • Katy Swailes, Ajax, ON, Canada, Archbishop Denis O’Connor C.H.S.
  • Madeline Swan, Vancouver, WA, Mountain View High School
  • Sofia Syed, Grand Island, NY, Grand Island High School
  • Shiyanthi Thavapalan, Markham, ON, Canada, Milliken Mills High School
  • Alice Thieu, Honolulu, HI, Sacred Hearts Academy
  • Stephanie Tupi, Pittsburgh, PA, Upper St. Clair High School
  • Andrew Vanek, Chardon, OH, Chardon High School
  • Ruchika Vij, Perrysburg, OH, Maumee Valley Country Day School
  • Sivahami Vijenthira, Toronto, ON, Canada, University of Toronto Schools
  • Ellen Volodarsky, Naperville, IL, Naperville Central High School
  • Kathryn Walton, Bracebridge, ON, Canada, Bracebridge & Mkoka Lakes Secondary School
  • Emily Watkins, Pittsburgh, PA, Taylor Allderdice High School
  • Evan Weaver, Atascadero, CA, Atascadero High School
  • Samantha Webb, Forest, MS, Forest High School
  • Cassie Wever, Langton, ON, Canada, Simcoe Composite School
  • Cory Wheeler, Downingtown, PA, Downingtown High School West Camp
  • Page Wheeler, West Chester, PA, Downingtown High School West Camp
  • Michael Willhoft, Manchester, CT, Manchester High School
  • Jordan Wingate, Chapel Hill, NC, East Chapel Hill High School
  • John Witte, Miami, Fl, School For Advanced Studies-Kendall
  • Angela Yarian, Westminster, MD
  • Nicholas Zabriskie, Aurora, NY, Southern Cayuga Central School
  • Muqing Zhou, Windsor, ON, Canada, Vincent Massey Secondary School
  • Michael Zink, Wilmington, DE