A Derby Cathedral School pupil has been shortlisted in one of the world’s most prestigious essay writing competitions after penning a top entry aged just 12.
Haleema Rifki, who is in year 8 at the Derby Diocesan Academy Trust secondary on Great Northern Road, was one of 100,000 entrants from 180 countries all over the world to submit an entry to the famous John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize.
Not only was Haleema’s 2,000 word entry shortlisted amongst the top 17 per cent of all entries, she went on to undergo a rigorous interview with a leading AI professor – impressing so much she has been picked to attend a gala and awards ceremony in October to receive a commendation for her work.
Haleema, now 13, said she could not believe her essay had been chosen from so many entries.
“I didn’t think I’d have a chance against 180 countries and students who are excellent in those countries,” said Haleema.
Now in its tenth year, the John Locke competition is open to students aged 18 and under.
It challenges young people to explore challenging questions beyond the school curriculum in categories including philosophy, science, theology, public policy, psychology, politics and law.
All essay prizes are judged by academics from leading universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford under the leadership of Chairman of Examiners Professor Terence Kealey.
This year’s competition asked candidates to ponder such questions as: ‘Is trial by jury obsolete’? and ‘Should vaccination be mandatory in a public health emergency?’
Haleema was encouraged to enter the competition by Derby Cathedral School politics lead John Keene.
Her essay answered a question in the philosophy category: ‘Is it ever wrong to do the right thing for the wrong reasons?’.
Haleema said: “The competition challenges you to think about thought provoking questions. I was looking for competitions that could help me in my personal development.
“I feel quite surprised at myself because I didn’t expect to get this far! Originally I thought I would have to keep on trying for two or three or more years to get to this stage.
“The topic I chose opened me up to complex perspectives from different philosophers. I researched it and read through these ancient texts. I argued through utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham and Immanual Kant.”
Haleema said she was very grateful for the supportive teaching staff at Derby Cathedral School in encouraging her to enter such a prestigious competition.
She said: “The teachers here are really nice. Once you show that you have the potential, they are willing to invest their own time to help you succeed. I feel happy that Mr Keene introduced me to this opportunity. I was happy he saw the potential in me to enter.”
Teacher John Keene said: “Haleema is the youngest ever captain of our school’s successful debating society, so it came as no surprise when she was shortlisted for such an eminent competition as she is an accomplished writer and public speaker. We look forward to the gala awards ceremony to see how far she can go in this world class competition. The whole school and the city of Derby should be proud of her – what an incredible achievement.”
Derby Cathedral School head teacher Andrew Brown said: “We are so proud of Haleema and her remarkable achievement. The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize is extremely prestigious and for her to have been judged among the world’s very best and to have undergone an interview speaks volumes about her commitment to her studies. We strive at Derby Cathedral School to bring rigour and joy to our learning and Haleema has exemplified this in entering and being shortlisted in a competition of this magnitude.”
Dr Sarah Clark, CEO of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, said: “Haleema’s achievement in being shortlisted for the John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize is very inspiring. She has had great support from Derby Cathedral School with the opportunity to take part in debating and the encouragement of teachers to push herself academically. We are all delighted with her success.”
