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.

2009 The Fountainhead Essay Contest

The Fountainhead Essay Winners

Winners:

The Fountainhead Cover

First Place

  • Dinah DeWald, Arizona School for the Arts, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Second Place

  • Megan Arkenberg, Germantown High School, Germantown, WI, USA
  • Daniel Moller, Stelly’s Secondary School, Saanichton, BC, Canada
  • Douglas Rintoul, University High School, Orlando, FL, USA
  • Remy Samuels, Central Bucks High School South, Warrington, PA, USA
  • Chi Song, Troy High School, Troy, MI, USA

Third Place

  • Ivy Buchelli, Saint Francis Preparatory School, Fresh Meadows, NY, USA
  • Sydney Duff, Chatham Kent Secondary School, Chatham, ON, Canada
  • Kami Finkel, Peachtree Ridge High School, Suwanee, GA, USA
  • Brittni Graner, Uniontown High School, Uniontown, PA, USA
  • Allison Har-Zvi, Glen Rock High School, Glen Rock, NJ, USA
  • Andrea Hsueh, Santa Teresa High School, San Jose, CA, USA
  • Cailin Lowry, Shanghai American School, Shanghai, China
  • Matthew Noakes, Fred C. Beyer High School, Modesto, CA, USA
  • Sarah Ruggiero, Trinity High School, Manchester, NH, USA
  • Emily Zhang, Wayland High School, Wayland, MA, USA

Finalists

  • Hannah Adams, Williamston High School, Williamston , MI, USA
  • Christopher Anderson, Franklin High School, Franklin, MA, USA
  • Natasha Belknap, Flower Mound High School, Flower Mound, TX, USA
  • Madeline Bertani, Rockwood Summit High School, Fenton, MO, USA
  • Julia Blanchard, Twinsburg High School, Twinsburg, OH, USA
  • Allison Blisard, Oxford Area High School, Oxford, PA, USA
  • Michael Bouterse, Gig Harbor High School, Gig Harbor, WA, USA
  • Jessica Cabe, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL, USA
  • Kennedy Cooke-Garza, Rockdale High School, Rockdale, TX, USA
  • Dorsey Craft, Orangeburg Preparatory, Orangeburg , SC, USA
  • Niamh Curran, De La Salle College “Oaklands”, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • Genia Denissova, Smoky Hill High School, Aurora, CO, USA
  • Jesse Dubois, Corry Area Middle High School, Corry, PA, USA
  • Jordyn Earnest, Monticello High Shcool, Monticello, AR, USA
  • Zachary Eldredge, Bristow High School, Bristow, OK, USA
  • Timothy Gahr, Cedar Cliff High School, Camp Hill, PA, USA
  • Gina Gresko, Pine Creek High School, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
  • Christopher Griffin, Redding Christian High School, Redding, CA, USA
  • Alison Griswold, Wellesley High School, Wellesley, MA, USA
  • Abigail Hall, Springfield Township High School, Erdenheim, PA, USA
  • Corryn Hall, Poteau High School, Poteau, OK, USA
  • Brianna Holden, Incarnate Word Academy, Corpus Christi, TX, USA
  • Linda Honaker, Homeschool, Bonita, CA, USA
  • Hanna Hurr, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA
  • Stephanie Keating, El Modena High School, Orange, CA, USA
  • Amber Khan, Plano West Senior High School, Plano, TX, USA
  • Cody Knapp, Thomas County Central High School, Thomasville, GA, USA
  • Jordan Koluch, Chandler High School, Chandler, AZ, USA
  • Patrick Lauppe, Golden Valley High School, Merced, CA, USA
  • Daniel Mane, High Technology High School, Lincroft, NJ, USA
  • Edward McCarthy, La Costa Canyon High School, Carlsbad, CA, USA
  • Rachel Mobley, Gray Stone Day School, Misenheimer, NC, USA
  • Arjun Mody, The Harker School, San Jose, CA, USA
  • Amanda Olson, Mankato West High School, Mankato, MN, USA
  • Pavel Panchekha, Academy For The Advancement Of Science And Technology, Hackensack, NJ, USA
  • Nishaad Rao, The Galaxy International School, Rajkot, GUJARAT, India
  • Mustafa Saifuddin, George Bush High School, Richmond, TX, USA
  • Alissa Sexton, Har-Ber High School, Springdale, AR, USA
  • Nasreen Shad, South Plantation High School, Plantation, FL, USA
  • Cristine Sidela, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, CA, USA
  • Sheila Smith, Tamarac High School, Troy, NY, USA
  • Sarah Watterson, Homeschool, Richmond, VA, USA
  • Shannon Wongvibulsin , Trabuco Hills High School , Mission Viejo , CA, USA
  • Daniel Xu, Farragut High School, Knoxville, TN, USA
  • Kelly Young, Downingtown West High School, Downingtown, PA, USA

Semi-Finalists

  • Christopher Accardo, Ephrata High School, Ephrata, PA, USA
  • Beth Adamowicz, Harry Ainlay High School, Edmonton, AL, Canada
  • Jessica Adams, Fairfield Community High School, Fairfield, IL, USA
  • Whitney Allen, Covington Community High School, Covington, IN, USA
  • Grace Atkins, Lasalle-Peru Township High School, LaSalle, IL, USA
  • Ashley Balcerzak, Fountain Hills High School, Fountain Hills, AX, USA
  • Anna Band, Mcdonogh School, Owings Mills, MD, USA
  • Brittany Bartos, Georgetown High School, Georgetown, TX, USA
  • Kunal Basu-Dutta, Columbus High School, Columbus, GA, USA
  • Rory Bebee, Plainfield Central High School, Plainfield, IL, USA
  • Elizabeth Bell, Mount Vernon Hihg School, Mount Vernon, OH, USA
  • Alexander Bertoloni Meli, Bloomington High School South, Bloomington, IN, USA
  • Alicia Bierstedt, Lincoln High School, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
  • Alexandra Boland, Eagan High School, Eagan, MN, USA
  • Justin Boogaard, Bonita Vista High School, Chula Vista, CA, USA
  • Hannah Breece, Florence High School, Florence, CO, USA
  • Rebecca Burkholder, Ephrata High School, Ephrata, PA, USA
  • Adam Burks, Leicester High School, Leicester, MA, USA
  • Julia Carpenter, Savannah Christian Preparatory School, Savannah, GA, USA
  • Madeleine Cassier, Midlothian High School, Midlothian, VA, USA
  • Betsy Castro, South Plantation High School, Plantation, FL, USA
  • Matthew Chalkley, Haddonfield Memorial High School, Haddonfield, NJ, USA
  • Aubri Charnigo, Wilson High School, West Lawn , PA, USA
  • Rachel Chavez, Shore Regional High School, West Long Branch, NJ, USA
  • Wendy Chen, Pymble Ladies College, Pymble, NSW, Australia
  • Autumn Christoforo, Woodland Regional High School (Region 16), Beacon Falls, CT, USA
  • Aurelien Chu, Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto, CA, USA
  • Miranda Colasante, Cardinal O’Hara High School, Springfield, PA, USA
  • Tristan Copeland, Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, AZ, USA
  • Charles Corbett, Barrington High School, Barrington, IL, USA
  • Juliana Cotto, SABIS International Charter School, Springfield, MA, USA
  • Rachel Cox, Corry Area Middle High School, Corry, PA,
  • Tina Cronauer, Tehachapi High School, Tehachapi, CA, USA
  • Ashlie Dile, Waubonsie Valley High School, Aurora, IL, USA
  • Michelle Dimino, Wellington C. Mepham High School, North Bellmore, NY, USA
  • Anand Divakaruni, William P. Clements High School, Sugar Land, TX, USA
  • Kathryn Driest, North Mecklenburg High School, Huntersville, NC, USA
  • Kenosha Drucker, Fountain Hills High School, Fountain Hills, AZ, USA
  • Charles Eaton, Loma Linda Academy, Loma Linda, CA, USA
  • Mikaela Ediger, Harry Ainlay High School, Edmonton, AB, Canada
  • Eric Fairchild, Corry Area Middle High School, Corry, PA,
  • Erin Farley, Longwood High School, Middle Island, NY, USA
  • Maream Fosshat, Lake Travis High School, Austin, TX, USA
  • Keegan Freiburger, Batavia Sr High School, Batavia, IL, USA
  • Patrick Fusaro, Bensalem High School, Bensalem, PA, USA
  • Michelle Gabossi, Dakota Ridge High School, Littleton, CO, USA
  • Caleb Galoozis, Bloomington High School South, Bloomington, IN, USA
  • Hannah Ginther, Colfax-Mingo High School, Colfax, IA, USA
  • Malarie Gokey, South Jefferson Central School, Adams, NY, USA
  • Will Gorman, St. Pius X High School, Kansas City, MO, USA
  • Jodie Grossenbach, Davis High School, Kaysville , UT, USA
  • Stephen Grugett, Marist School, Atlanta, GA, USA
  • Olivia Guilbert, SABIS International Charter School, Springfield, MA, USA
  • Sameer Gupta, Bonita Vista High School, Chula Vista, CA, USA
  • Katherine Haring, Bellaire High School, Bellaire, OH, USA
  • Mike Hector, H.D. Jacobs High School, Algonquin, IL, USA
  • Edward Hedke, Manhattan High School, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Jonathan Heiden, Paul D. Schreiber High School, Port Washington, NY, USA
  • Patrick Henry, Devon Preparatory School, Devon, PA, USA
  • Jonathan Hernandez, Cornwall Central High School, New Windsor, NY, USA
  • Kassandra Hickman, Southmont High School, Crawfordsville, IN, USA
  • Britt Hockenberry, Midlothian High School, Midlothian, VA, USA
  • Kathryn Hogg, Southwest High School, Ft. Worth, TX, USA
  • Drew Hoover, Hidden Valley High School, Roanoke, VA, USA
  • Shane Howard, Devon Preparatory School, Devon, PA, USA
  • Nicolae Iftimia, Chelmsford High School, North Chelmsford, MA, USA
  • Grace Insogna, The Long Trail School, Dorset, VT, USA
  • Nigel Isom, Memphis University School, Memphis, TN, USA
  • Nathan Jameson, Mesquite High School, Gilbert, AZ, USA
  • Cody Johnson, Oologah-Talala High School, , OK, USA
  • Andrew Jury, La Costa Canyon High School, Carlsbad, CA, USA
  • Kimberly Kaufhold, Centerville High School, Centerville, OH, USA
  • Melissa Kent, Vermilion High School, Vermilion, OH, USA
  • Stacy Kolcum, Chardon High School, Chardon, OH, USA
  • Megan Koth, Cactus Shadows High School, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
  • Sara Ku, Academy of the Holy Names, Tampa, FL, USA
  • Kailin Kuo, Piedmont High School, Piedmont, CA, USA
  • Amanda Lack, Berean Christian High School, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
  • Angelica Lai, Edward W. Clark High School, Las Vegas, NV, USA
  • Dylan Lancaster, Winter Springs High School, Winter Springs, FL, USA
  • Steven Langton, Oakville Senior High School, Oakville, MO, USA
  • Aidan Lawrence, Northeast High School, Oakland Park, FL, USA
  • Rachel Lazar, Lincoln Park High School, Chicago, IL, USA
  • Brianna Leddy, Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School, Dayton, OH, USA
  • Branden Lewiston, Indianola High School, Indianola, IA, USA
  • Karen Lin, Plano West Senior High School, Plano , TX, USA
  • Ari Lipsitz, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte, NC, USA
  • Lindsay Logie, Millwood High School, Sackville, NS, Canada
  • Kevin Louth, Ponchatoula High School, Ponchatoula, LA, USA
  • Corinne Lusher, The College Preparatory School, Oakland, CA, USA
  • Rebekah Lynn, Cedar Creek Christian Academy, Biscoe, NC, USA
  • Emily MacLean, Downingtown East High School, Exton, PA, USA
  • Jessica Macy, Olathe Northwest High School, Olathe, KS, USA
  • Allison Malecha, Blake School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
  • Chris Martin, Pueblo Technical Academy, Pueblo, CO, USA
  • Hector Martinez, McKay High School, Salem, OR, USA
  • Matthew Mazewski, West Morris Central High School, Chester, NJ, USA
  • Robert Mcbeath, Batavia High School , Batavia, IL, USA
  • Connor McLaughlin, McKay High School, Salem, OR, USA
  • Logan Metcalf-Kelly, Rockwall High School, Rockwall, TX,
  • Anastasia Miller, Stephen F. Austin High School, Austin, TX, USA
  • Kelsey Miller, Shorewood High School, Shorewood, WI, USA
  • Charlotte Mitchell, Hastings High School, Hastings On Hudson, NY, USA
  • T. Graham Morrow, Kaplan College Preparatory School, Hollywood, FL, USA
  • Karen Moxcey, Poudre High School, Fort Collins, CO, USA
  • Eric Moyer, Kettering Fairmont, Kettering, OH, USA
  • Kenneth Mueller, South Newton High School, Kentland, IN, USA
  • Vinodh Muthiah, Appleton East High School, Appleton , WI, USA
  • Laura Nash, Bonney Lake High School, Bonney Lake, WA, USA
  • Jessica Nicholas, Orange High School, Orange, CA, USA
  • Andrew Orr, Shaler Area High School, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
  • Zacharey Owens, Westerville Central High School, Westerville, OH, USA
  • Amelia Parenteau, Norwich Free Academy, Norwich , CT, USA
  • Dana Patrick, Highland High School, Sparta, OH, USA
  • Manika Paul, Granada High School, Livermore, CA, USA
  • Kaitlin Phillips, North East High School, North East, PA, USA
  • Jason Polder, Findlay High School, Findlay, OH, USA
  • Catie Prechtel, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, OR, USA
  • Ambika Rao, Munster High School, Munster, IN, USA
  • Neha Rao, Montgomery High School, Skillman, NJ, USA
  • Joy Risner, St. Joseph Central Catholic High School, Fremont, OH, USA
  • Eric Robinson, Landstown High School, Virginia Beach, VA, USA
  • Melissa Rockwerk, Dreyfoos School Of The Arts, West Palm Beach, FL, USA
  • Matthew Romeo, Midlothian High School, Midlothian, VA, USA
  • Rebecca Rosenberg, Toll Gate High School, Warwick, RI, USA
  • Sabrina Rosenthal, Abraham Joshua Heschel High School, New York, N.Y., USA
  • Vincent Sayseng, Iona Preparatory School, New Rochelle, NY, USA
  • Matt Schwartz, Land O’Lakes High School, Land O’Lakes, FL, USA
  • Mary Semon, Har-Ber High School, Springdale, AR, USA
  • Nonie Sethi, West Windsor Plainsboro High School South, Princeton Jct, NJ, USA
  • Alexandra Katherine Sharp, Ponchatoula High School, Ponchatoula, LA, USA
  • Nader Shihada, Fairview High School, Fairview Park, OH, USA
  • Megan Shoemate, Northern Valley Regional High School Old Tappan, Old Tappan, NJ, USA
  • Elyan Shor, Bonita Vista High School, Chula Vista, CA, USA
  • Patrick Short, Jesse O. Sanderson High School, Raleigh, NC, USA
  • Sushmita Sircar, Convent Of Jesus And Mary, New Delhi, DELHI, India
  • Carol Skelton, Thunderridge High School, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
  • Nicole Sloan, Savannah High School, Savannah, MO, USA
  • Shannon Snyder, Staunton River High School, Moneta, VA, USA
  • Brittni Straseske, Horicon High School, Horicon, WI, USA
  • Katie Sumner, Cannon School, Concord, NC, USA
  • Xi (David) Sun, Mark Keppel High School, Alhambra, CA, USA
  • Sharon Sun, Bellaire High School, Bellaire, TX, USA
  • Visakha Suresh, Plano West Senior High School, Plano, TX, USA
  • Katherine Swider, West Forsyth High School, Clemmons, NC, USA
  • Aidan Tam, Halifax Grammar School, Halifax, NS, Canada
  • Miranda Thomas, Northville High School, Northville, MI, USA
  • Benjamin Todd, Henry M. Jackson High School, Mill Creek, WA, USA
  • Katie Todd, Montville High School, Oakdale, CT, USA
  • Nikayla Towne-Relyea, Mayfield High School, Mayfield, NY, USA
  • Crystal Trejo, Sahuaro, Tucson, AZ, USA
  • Nathan Usevitch, Mesquite High School, Gilbert, AZ, USA
  • Cristy Vaughn, Mesquite High School, Gilbert, AZ, USA
  • Maria Velichko, Fieldstone Day School, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • Abigail Wagner, Lahser High School, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA
  • John Wagner, Bloomington High School South, Bloomington, IN, USA
  • Simcha Walfish, Yitzhak Rabin High School, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • Kirby Walls, Pueblo Technical Academy, Pueblo, CO, USA
  • Kimberly We, Archbishop Molloy High School, Briarwood, NY, USA
  • Alexandra Weaver, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • Joseph Wegener, Brockton High School, Brockton, MA, USA
  • Nick Weiner, La Costa Canyon High School, Carlsbad, CA, USA
  • Melanie Westin, Placer High School, Auburn, CA, USA
  • Megan Wiggins, Ponchatoula High School, Ponchatoula, LA, USA
  • David Williams, Hidden Valley High School, Roanoke, VA, USA
  • Devin Williams, Georgetown High School, Georgetown, TX, USA
  • Catherine Wooley, Marian Highschool, Mishawaka, IN, USA
  • Kate Wymbs, Southern Regional High School, Manahawkin, NJ, USA
  • Morgan Wynnes, Lester B. Pearson High School, Burlington, ON, Canada
  • Alex Yahanda, Canterbury High School, Fort Wayne, IN, USA
  • Afanasiy Yermakov, High Technology High School, Lincroft, NJ, USA
  • Justin Yoo, Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica, CA, USA
  • Rhiannon Youngbauer, Penns Valley Area High School, Spring Mills, PA, USA
  • Laurence Zhu, Wellesley High School, Wellesley, MA, USA
  • Emily Zwart, Cornwall Central High School, New Windsor, NY, USA