About the Contest
Our founder, William F. Buckley Jr., began his career as a public intellectual when he wrote God and Man at Yale, a scathing critique of his alma mater and its growing biases. Each summer, National Review Institute holds a student essay contest to promote thought and discussion surrounding one of William F. Buckley Jr.’s works. The winning essay is published on NationalReview.com.
2021 Contest Winner
Michael Samaritano’s winning essay titled “Conservatives, Don’t Give Up on Yale” was published on NationalReview.com on Wednesday, September 22, 2021. Read it here. As a part of Michael’s winnings, he participated in a virtual forum for our supporters and was interviewed by WFB Journalism Fellow Jimmy Quinn. Additionally, Michael was featured as a guest on one of NR’s podcasts and we highlighted him in our 2021 End of Year newsletter.
Michael was born and raised in Huntington, New York. He attended Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York. Now at Yale, he plans to study History and Philosophy. Outside of the classroom, he is an active member of the Federalist Party, the Thomistic Institute, the William F. Buckley, Jr. Program, and the Saint Thomas More Catholic Center.
