Horsham student wins first prize in national philosophy contest

Izzy Wood who attends Christ’s Hospital, entered the competition – which asks students to write a 1,000 word essay on a topic from a list provided by the university – because she is ‘always up for trying something new’.

But she was ‘totally shocked’ to have won. Her essay scored 83 marks and judges gave her the following feedback: “Fantastic and interesting paper! You have provided pervasive arguments with rich relevant literatures to justify your views.”

Izzy’s prize for winning was a £100 Amazon voucher, Izzy said: “I think winning has given me more confidence to contribute in class.

“I’m not sure what I will spend the money on, I didn’t think I would even place, let alone win, so I didn’t really think about it.

“I’ve had a few books on my wish list for a while so I will probably start there.

“Overall, I’m just completely shocked and excited that I won and I’m looking forward to continuing studying philosophy next year and possibly beyond.”

Dr Michael Lacewing, one of Izzy’s philosophy teachers said: “Izzy worked hard over the Easter holiday to conduct independent research, develop her ideas, and express them with such force and clarity.

“I’m delighted her talent and thought were recognised by the judging panel.”

The competition aims to widen the interest in philosophy, encourage those interested to study it at university and to recognise the achievements both of high-calibre students and of those who teach them.