Iowa City student wins top prize of one year of free tuition at the University of Iowa; runners up from Ankeny, Bettendorf, and Riverside win scholarships
Contest will be open to high school sophomores and juniors starting in 2026
The Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization has completed judging for this year’s Glory of the Senses: Paul Engle Essay Contest and will award scholarships to four high school students from across Iowa.
The winning essay was “Taste of July,” by Reed Hagan, who is a junior at Iowa City West High School. In recognition of the essay, Reed will receive one year of free tuition to the University of Iowa, offered in partnership with the UI.
The essays were evaluated through a blind judging process by a team from ACT in Iowa City. Commenting on Reed’s essay, the judges said sensory detail is conveyed through evocative language to transform a simple day of fishing into an immersive summer memory.
“The writer paints a rich tapestry of the natural world, celebrating the change in seasons, they write. “‘April rolled, May sang, in the halls of wildflower meadows. June hummed, both with the high-pitched vibrations of gnats, making loop-de-loops around the ear, and with the whir of June bugs, lazily hovering towards streetlights and illuminated windows.’ Even the grotesque becomes entrancing through bold and visceral descriptions – ‘Smaller insects, such as ants, attempted to use the larger insect’s corpse as a raft.’ The narrative meanders between the smells and sounds of their own experience and their grandfather’s wisdom to arrive at a treasured lesson.”
The contest is based on the writings of Paul Engle – the long-time director of the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop and co-founder of the UI’s International Writing Program – particularly his memoir, A Lucky American Childhood. Students are asked to write about an Iowa experience, paying “special attention to include details that evoke the sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch of your memory.”
Three runners up from around the state will receive $500 cash scholarships from the City of Literature. The runners up are:
- Riviera Foley, Highland High School
- Keira Mueller, Ankeny High School
- Lucy Wolf, Bettendorf High School
Through 2025, the contest has been designed to recognize sophomores from each of Iowa’s nine Area Education Agencies, which cover the state. Due to a lack of submissions, not all AEAs were represented.
A major change to the rules will now allow Iowa high school sophomores and juniors to submit an essay for the contest. Information about the 2026 contest is now available. Please visit the City of Literature website at www.iowacityofliterature.org/paul-engle-day for more information. The deadline is May 1, 2026.
