The lawyers and judges of the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, along with the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, announce the top ten finalists in the 2024 High School Essay Contest (in alphabetical order).

Isabella Castro Cardona, Southeast High School
Patricia Crews, Largo High School
Adhik Durga, Land o Lakes High School
Celia Fleck, Clearwater High School
Prajit Manivannan, Newsome High School
Gabriela Murillo Carvajal, Ridge Community High
Aarya Narukullapati, Strawberry Crest High School
Vaibhav Panumacha, Strawberry Crest High School
Briana Reinoso, Plant High School
Aedan Wilson, Sunlake High School

The lawyers and judges of the Middle District, Tampa Division, congratulate the top ten finalists and thank all students who submitted essays and the teachers and administrators who encouraged them to do so. With over 700 essay submissions, we sincerely appreciate the contributions of all the participating students, teachers, and schools, which made this year's contest such a success.

All finalists will be honored at a recognition ceremony on Monday, December 16, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. in Courtroom 14B of the Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse. Prizes will be awarded to all student winners and grants presented to teachers and schools at that time.