One Hundred Thousand Students

A 16-year-old student from the International School of Differdange has been shortlisted for the John Locke Global Essay Competition, an international academic writing contest for students aged 18 and under. The competition attracted over 100,000 entries from 183 countries this year.[1]

Her essay, titled "Is religious experience better explained by neuroscience or theology?", explores how science, philosophy, and religion intersect. She examined both the biological mechanisms behind religious experiences and their attributed meanings and moral significance through theology. The topic is not the kind of thing most 16-year-olds write about between badminton practice and exams. She entered the competition after stepping away from the national badminton team, looking for new projects to immerse herself in.[2]

At the same time, she founded RAC, Rise Against Cancer, a student-led cancer awareness initiative that is on its way to becoming a non-profit organisation. The dual achievement, a global essay shortlist and a cancer initiative, is a lot for anyone, let alone someone who is also studying for high school exams. She wants to pursue medicine, combining research with helping others.[3]

The John Locke Institute, which runs the competition, is valued by elite universities worldwide. A shortlist placement from 100,000 entries across 183 countries is a serious academic signal. It is also a Luxembourg story. The International School of Differdange is a public school. The student is not from a private academy or a tutoring factory. She stepped away from competitive badminton and decided to write about neuroscience and theology. That trajectory, from sports to independent intellectual inquiry, is worth noticing because it is not the path that gets pushed. It is the path that gets chosen.[4]