If the 34,000 entries this year are anything to go by, youth engagement is at an all-time high. I have ended each QCEC season honoured to have helped maintain the pivotal role this competition plays in amplifying youth participation.
If the record-breaking 34,000 entries in this year’s Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) are anything to go by, youth engagement is at an all-time high. From stirring treatises to brilliantly poetic expositions, this year’s entries grappled with the significant issues of sustainable growth, resilience, and community. For the second year in a row, it has been my absolute pleasure to be inspired and challenged by these young voices. But why volunteer the extra hours to this writing competition?
For 140 years now, the Royal Commonwealth Society has been the custodian of not just another competition but a global platform, committed to rewarding not only talent but also engagement. The QCEC holds space for meaningful, youth-led conversations in a world that sometimes struggles to distinguish token participation from real collaboration. Platforms like this, that do not purport to speak on behalf of young people but instead allow them to take ownership of their ideas and explore challenges bigger than themselves, are few and far between.
But volunteering your time…for free? Why? When juggling work and life alone is enough to keep anyone’s plate full. My answer is simple: I am, invariably, the product of each and every person who has ever volunteered their time, for free, on me. How can I not pass it on?
Additionally, having been on both sides of the adjudication fence, first as a participant and now as a judge, I am more convinced that the art and discipline of writing in one that bears only benefit. The critical-thinking and structured approach required to produce a piece worth reading is a readily transferable skill. I, for one, continue to find strong parallels with my day-to-day work. In searching for a throughline from writing to the work I do now in data analytics, these underlying principles jumped out at me: in both, I have to practice putting myself in someone else’s shoes, exploring different perspectives, and delivering value or impact within limited space, time or resources. In both, I try to bring some order to my elected corner of chaos, aiding better decision-making, providing new insight, or offering a fresh perspective on the same old problems. Participating benefits me as much as it does the competition because I am reminded that the same reasons I fell in love with writing, are the same reasons I took to my current field of work.
Finally, the times we are currently living in call for curiosity, and deeper, broader, critical thinking. The kind of curiosity and critical thinking that writing often requires of you. The world needs answers, yes, but it also needs people who are capable of asking and engaging with the right questions. Questions that invite empathy and integrity into the room even as we continue to seek growth and innovation. While some entries attempt to answer the world’s big questions, others pose thoughtful ones that both confront and inspire the reader. Every year has brought with it better and more insightful engagement and every year I have ended QCEC season honoured to have played a small part in helping this competition maintain the pivotal role it plays in amplifying youth participation.
About the Author
Esther is a data analyst with a Bachelors in Physics and a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science. Passionate about deriving value from data, she currently leverages her background to solve data management problems and support evidence-based decision-making. She’s an advocate for continuous learning and enjoys sharing her insights with peers.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
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