Did you know that the world's first Pulitzer Prize to be given to a woman was awarded during L.M. Montgomery's lifetime?

April J. DeWitt can identify with famous writer Emily Dickinson’s penchant for keeping her work to herself.  And at the same time, Emily has greatly inspired April to never lose her passion for writing.  Here is April’s onion piece on the beloved poet, which she submitted to us as part of our End of Summer essay contest.

Here is one of the most unique essay submissions we received for our End of Summer essay contest.  Unlike many of the other pieces we’ve posted, Kristian Alegado, a young male athlete, chose to highlight a modern-day female racecar driver.

At 60 years old, Phyllis Fox still vividly recalls the moment she heard of President JFK’s death in 1963.  And even now, she is still impacted by the grace shown by his wife, Jackie Kennedy, in the aftermath of his assassination.  Here is her powerful essay, which she submitted for our End of Summer contest.

It is the first time that Malgorzata Janiec has ever taken part in an essay contest, but the 27-year-old teacher from Poland felt strongly enough about the works of Mother Teresa to write the following essay.  Here is the reason why Malgorzata is inspired by the world’s most famous nun.

Brittany Hayes idolizes Helen Keller, not only for her ability to overcome the most staggering obstacles, but for the contributions she then made to the lives of others.  Here is Brittany’s inspiring submission to our End of Summer essay contest.

Writing all the way from Bassum, Germany, 24-year-old Marissa Pobantz believes that Lucy Maud Montgomery changed her life.  Anne and Road to Avonlea fans alike will enjoy her piece about Maud below, which she kindly submitted to us for our End of Summer essay contest.

Not all may be familiar with the story of Eleni Gatzoyiannis, but for Kathy Hills, 45, Eleni has heavily influenced her own life and the way in which she interacts with her children.  Here is Kathy’s essay about the inspiring Greek mother, which she submitted to our End of Summer essay contest.

The following short essay reveals a unique connection between Clare Roberts and the world famous writer who was born and raised in her own hometown, George Eliot.  Just like George (author of such novels as Adam Bede, Middlemarch and Daniel Deronda), Clare defied her family’s expectations in a courageous way.  Enjoy her story, as part of our ongoing publication of the pieces we received for our Most Inspiring Women essay contest!

It is no surprise that the woman responsible for inspiring an entire generation of young children to read again, was one of the most beloved figures in our End of Summer essay contest.  Here are two impressive essays about J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter, written by 13-year-old Julia Mastroianni and Lisa Bendzak.