Andrew Lin, a junior at Radnor High School, was one of ten entrants to earn third place in the Ayn Rand Institute’s 2011 Anthem Essay Contest. Lin was also one of 80 semi-finalists in the We the Living Essay Contest. He received $200 and $25 awards. Approximately 15,000 applicants entered the institute’s four essay contests.

“Andrew is one of my honors American Literature students,” teacher Kathy Pearsall said. “These awards join many other writing recognitions he has accumulated in the past few months. This was not a classroom assignment. Andrew found the contest himself and was motivated to read the books and write the essays.”

The Ayn Rand Institute works to introduce young people to the author’s novels, to support scholarship and research based on her ideas, and to promote the principles of reason, rational self-interest, individual rights and laissez-faire capitalism to the widest possible audience. The institute sponsors annual essay contests that offer more than 600 prizes and $100,000 in awards each year.