Javedd Khan Essay Prize Competition
Spring 2025

The Javedd Khan Essay Prizes are named in memory of a beloved and challenging teacher of writing and the humanities and are awarded annually.

The topic for the Spring 2025 Javedd Khan Essay Prize is: Success

The goal of the JKE Prize competition is to promote thoughtful student engagement with the world around them as well-informed critical thinkers and skillful communicators.

The Javedd Khan Essay Prizes are awarded in memory of Professor Javedd Khan, who for many years was a beloved teacher of writing, humanities, and moral issues. He was well-known for his insistence that students reach deep into their minds to communicate on issues of cultural importance. He demanded high levels of commitment from his students, and refused mediocrity in all its forms. At the same time, his approach was good-humored and empowering. These qualities together earned him much support from students.

The Javedd Khan Essay Prizes, therefore, will be awarded to those applicants who demonstrate qualities Professor Khan admired, encouraged and developed in his students: commitment to hard work in their own advancement, and a desire to engage as intelligent, well-informed adults with the world around them.

Javedd Khan Essay Prizes are funded by donations from members of the College community and other generous contributors.

For Donors

You are invited to become a Founding Donor of the Javedd Khan Essay Prize Fund. Please consider supporting this opportunity for our students to share their insights and demonstrate their skills as writers. Prize-winning students will be invited to present their essays at an awards ceremony and they and runners-up will be published annually in an HCCC magazine.

Please add your name to the donor list. If you are able, please consider a monthly payroll deduction. All contributions will help the cause of advancing and celebrating excellence in student writing and be received with thanks.

Donations should be made to the HCCC Foundation. Please be sure to indicate JKE Prize Fund when donating.

• To give via payroll deduction, click here to establish your gift. Deductions will begin on the date entered and continue twice a month for either the determined payroll periods or for the foreseeable future.
• To give a one-time gift, through the HCCC Foundation, please see all donation options by clicking here.
• To give via check, please make your check payable to the HCCC Foundation and mail your check to:
  162-168 Sip Ave, 2nd Floor
  Jersey City, NJ 07306
  
  

Qualifications and Applications

Two Prizes of $500 each will be awarded annually to students currently enrolled at HCCC who have completed 12 or more college-level credits. At least one of the Prizes will be reserved for students who began their academic careers at HCCC by completing one or more semesters of Academic Foundations or ESL coursework.

• All courses counting towards award requirements must have been completed at HCCC.
• All applications must be submitted through the application form below.
• The deadline for applications is Saturday, May 31, 2025.
  
  

The Essay

At the beginning of each spring semester, a challenging essay topic will be announced.

• Essays should be between 500 and 1000 words in length. Shorter or longer essays will be disqualified.
• Quotation and/or information from researched sources is not required, but no more than two such sources may be included if desired. In that case, proper bibliographic citation is required.
• Presence or absence of researched sources will not influence the judges’ assessment of the essay.
• Essays submitted will be scanned for plagiarism.
• Essays will be evaluated using the following elements:
  
  • Originality of thought.
  • Critical engagement with the topic.
  • Quality of expression.
• Each element will be evaluated on a scale of 1 (low) through 5 (high) by each of three readers on the Prize Committee.
  
  

Awards

• The Javedd Khan Essay Prize Committee is an independent faculty committee and includes one student representative chosen by the Student Government leadership.
• Each academic year, the Prize Committee will review applications and judge entries.
• Two Prizes will be awarded. One of the Prizes will be awarded to an applicant who began their career at HCCC by taking ESL or Academic Foundations coursework.
• A Prize will be awarded to the student in each category with the highest combined score for the Essay. They must have met all other application requirements.
• In the case of a tie, the Committee Chair will serve as the tie-breaker.
• The Committee reserves the right not to award a Prize in either or both categories if in their collective judgment no entries of a high enough standard are submitted.
• The decision of the judges shall be final.
• Applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision within one month of the application deadline.
• Prizes will be presented at the end of the spring semester at an awards ceremony.
  
  

Application Form

The Javedd Khan Essay Prizes will be awarded to those applicants who demonstrate qualities Professor Khan admired, encouraged and developed in his students: commitment to hard work in their own advancement, and a desire to engage as intelligent, well-informed adults with the world around them.

The topic for the Spring 2025 Javedd Khan Essay Prize is: Success

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