2025 Essay Competition is OPEN!
- Fiesta Pensacola
- Dec 1, 2025
- 2 min read
The 2nd Annual
General Chappie James Essay Competition
Presented by:
Topic:
Discuss the qualities that a leader should possess to be effective during times of turmoil and conflict. Reflect on General James’ life and work and the leadership qualities he used to succeed in his pursuits. Compare your own leadership qualities or those you seek to gain to General James’ qualities of leadership.
Entry to the General Chappie James Essay Competition 2025-26 is open to students in grades 9-12 on December 1, 2025.
All entries must be submitted by 11:59 pm CST on the submission deadline: Saturday, January 31, 2026.
Entry is free.
Each essay must not exceed 1000 words, with a minimum of 500 words. The essay should be saved as a .pdf and emailed to the Fiesta Multicultural Heritage Committee chairman at ginfo.mhc@gmail.com before the deadline.
The filename of your essay must be in this format:
FirstName-LastName-SchoolName-Grade.pdf
So, for instance, Jane Doe who attends Washington High School in 9th grade would submit her essay with the following file name:
Jane-Doe-WashingtonHighSchool-Grade9.pdf
Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.
The candidate's name should NOT appear within the document itself.
Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens on December 1, 2025. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of the deadline to avoid any last-minute complications.
Assessment
Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the Fiesta Multicultural Heritage Committee’s Essay Judges. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud. Our determinations in all such matters are final.
Results
The writers of the best essays in each grade will be announced at a special ceremony on February 11, 2026. Scholarships will be given to the first-place essay in each grade level.
Prizes
The candidate who submits the best essay overall in each grade will receive a cash prize scholarship of $500 each.
The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
Key Dates
Contest opens: December 1, 2025
Submission deadline: 11:59pm, Saturday, January 31, 2026
Winners will be notified on Monday, February 2, 2026.
Awards ceremony: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, (General “Chappie” James’ birthday). Awards ceremony is tentatively scheduled to be held at the Chappie James Museum of Pensacola at 1606 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Pensacola, FL 32503. Time to be announced at a later date.
Contact
Any questions regarding the essay competition should be sent to ginfo.mhc@gmail.com .
Opening the 2025 essay competition is a fantastic initiative that provides a platform for students to hone their critical thinking skills while engaging with our local heritage. Contests like this are so important because they encourage academic excellence and help young writers find their unique voices through research and creative expression. It is wonderful to see an organization that values the development of our youth and offers them a chance to earn recognition for their hard work. This same value for individuality and timeless quality is something that carries over into many parts of our lives, including how we choose to present ourselves to the world. When I look for quality pieces that reflect a confident and professional image, I…
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What a great opportunity you’ve shared here! Your overview of the 2025 Essay Competition was clear, encouraging, and very informative — it’s great to see platforms that invite young voices to reflect deeply and express themselves creatively. I recently saw a similar encouragement for thoughtful participation on a review blog like https://grandoaksorthodontics.com/, and it was interesting to see how different communities are promoting meaningful engagement through writing. Thanks for the useful post!
This is such an exciting opportunity for aspiring writers to find their voice! I love that this contest provides a platform for fresh perspectives. Having access to expert peer reviews organically built into the process is a total game-changer for growth. I can’t wait to see the incredible entries submitted!
Really enjoyed reading this post — it’s great to see opportunities like the General Chappie James Essay Competition being made available to students. Encouraging young people to reflect on leadership, especially during times of conflict and challenge, is such a meaningful initiative. The focus on connecting personal qualities with the legacy of General James makes the topic both inspiring and thought-provoking.I also appreciate how clearly the theme is presented — it not only promotes writing skills but also pushes students to think deeply about character, resilience, and real-world leadership. Programs like this can truly make a lasting impact on students’ confidence and perspective.I recently came across a similar discussion on a review blog https://samedaydiplomas.com/, and it offered an interesting perspective…