Bellaire High School Debate students Christa Chiao and Zara Khan have placed as finalists in the Gülen Institute Youth Platform Contest.
The top 30 finalists in the international essay competition will be flown to Washington D.C. in March for a four day, all-expenses-paid trip to meet U.S. Congress members, participate in round table discussions, visit think tanks and compete for thousands of dollars in prize money.
Chiao, a senior, and Khan, a sophomore, have been active in debate since the ninth grade.
More than 600 students from 53 countries and 35 states from the U.S. entered the competition, which was open to international students for the first time this year. The topic for the essay competition was “The use of military means as a solution to today’s international and national political issues: Diplomacy or war, democracy or military coup?”
The Gülen Institute was established in October 2007 as a non-profit organization and a joint initiative of the University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work and the Institute of Interfaith Dialog.
The main goal of the Institute is to promote academic research as well as grass roots activity towards bringing about positive social change, namely the establishment of stable peace, social justice, and social harmony by focusing on the themes of education, volunteerism and civic initiatives.
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