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Illinois to America: Stories That Shape Us | Essay Contest
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Illinois to America: The Stories That Shape Us

Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton’s Illinois 250 Essay Contest

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Submit Your Essay

Personal & School Information
Optional Questions
File Attachment

Personal & School Information
Optional Questions
File Attachment

Personal & School Information
Optional Questions
File Attachment

Full name

Pronouns

Pronouns other

Email address (not a school email address)

Phone number

Home address

County

Name of your school

Grade in school (as of April 2026)

Name of a parent/guardian

Parent/guardian email address

Parent/guardian phone number

Please select which prompt you used for your essay

Optional questions

Data gathered from this application will not be used for any other purpose other than program evaluation. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor will not share personal or private information with anyone other than staff and the individuals assigned to review applications.

Race/ethnicity (select all that apply)

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Hispanic or Latino

Middle Eastern or North African

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Sexual orientation

Asexual

Bisexual

Gay/lesbian

Heterosexual (straight)

Pansexual

Other

Sexual orientation other

Gender identity (select all that apply)

Male

Female

Nonbinary

Cisgender

Transgender

Other

Gender identity other

Please upload your essay submission.

Please name your essay file as: “First Name Last Name LG250 Essay Contest” (Title your essay however you wish within the document.)

File Attachment

Please upload a signed copy of the contest release form.

Release forms must be signed by a parent or guardian in order for the essay to be eligible.

File Attachment

I certify that the information I have provided is correct to the best of my knowledge, and that my submission was written only by myself without the use of AI or plagiarism.

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