2025 BAAFN Essay Contest Rules and Submission Specifications

The Brookline Asian American Family Network (BAAFN) was formed to support the needs of Asian/Asian American students and their families in the Brookline school system.
The BAAFN Steering Committee is seeking submissions for its 2025 Student Asian American Essay Contest.  
Deadline: Friday, March 7th, 2025, at 11:00 pm

Eligibility Criteria
  • High School students attending Brookline’s High Schools
  • High School students who are residents of Brookline but attend High School elsewhere  
  • Children of contest judges or screeners are ineligible to submit entries

Entry Guidelines
  • Only one essay submission per person.   
  • Entry submissions must be the original work of the student and should not be copied from anywhere, or generated through an artificial intelligence program.
  • Previous submissions to BAAFN’s essay contest are not eligible.
 
Essays must be in line with the contest theme:
Being an Asian American - What is Your Superpower?
How has/does your Superpower:
  • Helped/help shape your experiences living and going to school in Brookline?
  • Helped/help you navigate challenges and/or reach goals?
  • Helped/help you explore or live into your identity/identities?
Prizes
Winning entries are selected based on comprehensiveness, originality and relevance to the theme in the category. 
BAAFN Award - $500
Custom 2025 Award - $500
Creativity Award - $250 
Content Award - $250 

Prizes will be announced by early April. Winners will be recognized in a ceremony on May 14th, 2025 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre.. 
Please use the BAAFN Essay Contest Submission Specifications Checklist to ensure you meet Submission Specifications  (on page 2).
*Submissions not meeting the expressed specifications will be ineligible for the contest.

Brookline Asian American Family Network Essay Contest Submission Specifications Checklist

Contest Entry Deadline
Friday, March 7th, 2025, at 11:00 pm

Essay Submission Specifications
Please review your submission and ensure that it meets the following criteria:
  • The essay length is at or under 750 words
  • The essay has 1.5 spacing and a 12 pt font size
  • Each page is numbered 
  • The name of the Word file is the same as your essay title
  • Your name does not appear anywhere in the essay and/or in the title of the digital file
Submit your essay via email to [email protected].
Please make sure that the email contains:
  • The title of your essay
  • Your full name
  • Your address 
  • Your phone number
  • The high school you attend and your grade
  • How you heard about this contest (e.g. friend, teacher, social media, flier etc.)
  • Your essay as a Word file attachment, with the essay title as the name of the file 
*Please note that submissions will become the property of the Brookline Asian American Family Network for use in future activities as appropriate to promote diversity.

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