The Board and Staff at Character.org congratulate the hundreds of students who submitted to us their Law of Life essay!
The Laws of Life writing program encourages middle school and high school students to reflect and write about a core value that means the most to them – and why.
A group of distinguished judges read each essay and let us know which five (5) essays were the most compelling within each of these 4 categories:

Middle Schools
United States
Nations outside the U.S.
High Schools
United States
Nations outside the U.S.
We then asked another group of judges to select
5 essays to represent the most compelling essays worldwide.
Want to feel inspired?
Read each of these uplifting, heartfelt essays!
The 5 Most Compelling Essays
David Alexandru Bortea
6th Grade
ICHB Colentina
Romania
“I chose to talk about friendship as a basic value of life because I play performance football and I saw how important is this relationship in my team….Even though we are different, we have become friends because of sport….A friend is kept in three ways: honoring him in the presence, praising him in the absence, and helping him when needed. I believe that friendship is one of the values of life that we must enjoy.”
Click here to read David’s Law of Life essay: Friendship Means Honoring, Praising and Helping
Emily Morris
9th Grade
Pen Argyl High School
Pennsylvania
“Emily…You inspire me so much! I want to be just like you one day, the best soccer player in the whole world. I am going to play and make you proud.” Wow, I did not expect her to say something as sweet as she did. I inspired her? To think that someone strives to be like me one day makes my heart dance.”
Click here to read Emily’s Law of Life essay: Inspiration – Leading Others to Achieve Their Dreams
Ariana Vega
6th Grade
Imagine – Plantation
Florida
“Choosing forgiveness doesn’t mean the wounds will be demolished…it is solely the start of an emotional healing operation through letting go of negative emotions..recognizing forgiveness is an act of self-love…a gift to oneself.”
Click here to read Ariana’s Law of Life essay: The Mighty Choice of Forgiveness
Liza Gilca
10th Grade
International School of Bucharest
Romania
“Empathy is what taught me how to be human. Because without this union and understanding of others, I’d be a shell of a human living among others, only physically, never emotionally.”
Click here to read Liza’s Law of Life essay: Empathy Makes Us Human
Emilee Horton
6th Grade
Oneonta Middle School
Alabama
“Grace is a law of life…by the grace of God, there go you and I… social grace is being courteous of others, having polite manners…
Physical grace is the way someone moves in a controlled, poised way…As a law of life, the part of grace that means the most to be is being humble.”
Click here to read Emilee’s Law of Life essay: By the Grace of God, There Go You and I
High School Essays
United States
Macy Kotulka
10th Grade
Pen Argyl High School
Pennsylvania
Adrianna Moore
11th Grade
Pen Argyl High School
Pennsylvania
Carlos Ayala Mendez
11th Grade
Ansonia High School
Connecticut
Nathan Curtolo
9th Grade
Pen Argyl High School
Pennsylvania
Nations Outside the U.S.
Dexie Bernice Estrella
9th Grade
Childlink Learning Center and Childlink High School, Inc.
Philippines
Alice Howard
10th Grade
International School of Bucharest
Romania
Rehsia Theryz Gadrinab
10th Grade
Childlink Learning Center and Childlink High School, Inc.
Philippines
Andrada Ghergu
9th Grade
International School of Bucharest
Romania
Anton Enrique Rentuza
10th Grade
Childlink Learning Center and Childlink High School, Inc.
Philippines
Middle School Essays
United States
Claire Fryar
7th Grade
Parkway South Middle School
Missouri
Shona Kumar
7th Grade
Heritage Middle School
New Jersey
Elyan Aladdin
6th Grade
Parkway South Middle School
Missouri
Nations Outside the U.S.
Daniela Miranda
7th Grade
CEL Intercultural School
Brazil
Noah Voldman
8th Grade
CEL Intercultural School
Brazil
Maria Clara Carvalho
8th Grade
CEL Intercultural School
Brazil
To learn how your students can participate in the Laws of Life writing program in 2022-2023, click here.