First Prize: Wes Carpenter, University of Texas at Austin

 

Wes Carpenter completed his studies at

the University of Texas at Austin with a BA with honors in Economics and Government in May 2006.  While on campus he was involved with student government, the Brothers Under Christ Fraternity, the Student Union Speakers Committee, and served as Chairman of the Spirit and Traditions Council.  He was also a member of the Texas Cowboys, a prestigious men’s organization, and the Friar Society, the oldest honor society at the University of Texas.  In the summer of 2005, he was an intern in the U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Majority Leader.  Beginning in the fall of 2006, he will be a corps member with Teach for America and will teach in a low-income school in New York City.  After two years of teaching, he hopes to attend law and business school.

For winning the contest, Wes received a $500 prize and was flown to Washington to attend the inaugural Christopher Makins Lecture on May 31. Named for a past president of the Council, the lecture featured an address by Zbigniew Brzezinski, former U.S. National Security Advisor now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

After the event, Wes said “It was a remarkable honor to be the winner of this year's Atlantic Council Student Essay Contest. As a young person, it was a rare privilege to be a guest at the inaugural Christopher Makins lecture and to attend an event at the residence of the British Ambassador to Washington. Dr. Brzezinski's lecture was filled with insight and perspective and I am grateful to have been a part of it. The great magnitude of the legacy of Christopher Makins and the work of the Atlantic Council was clearly evident to anyone who was able to attend this event."

To read Wes’ winning essay, please click here.

 

Kyle Atwell, a senior at the University of California, Davis majoring in Managerial Economics and International Relations, took second place with his essay “Security Beyond the West.” He is a founder and the Executive Editor for the International Affairs Journal, and a founder of the Roosevelt Institution at UC Davis where he is also Director for the Center on Security and Defense Studies.  Kyle is also a columnist for both the Internationalist and the International Update newspapers, where he focuses on security issues in Europe and the Middle East.  Kyle will receive $250. 

 

To read Kyle’s essay, please click here.

 

Tina Rohner, a rising senior majoring in politics and business at Converse College, received an honorable mention. An award-winning debater at Model Arab League, she also manages to maintain her position as the top singles player for the Converse All-Star tennis team. From Kaufbeuren, Germany, Tina is fluent in German and French, and is currently studying Chinese.

 

To read Tina’s essay, please click here. 
 

Applicants were asked to identify the primary challenges facing the world today and to examine if and how the transatlantic partnership might most effectively address them. Judges considered whether the essay demonstrated a strong understanding of current and historical factors in the transatlantic relationship, presented a focused and well-reasoned consideration of the topic, displayed originality in analysis, and exhibited clear writing.