Celebrating Irvine’s Young Voices: 2026 Youth Writing Contest Winners
This summer, Irvine Watchdog hosted its first Youth Writing Contest, inviting Irvine middle school, high school, and college students to share their perspectives on civic issues affecting our community. Students were encouraged to explore an issue important to them—whether by proposing new ideas, examining something happening in our city, or advocating for greater civic engagement among young people.
We want to extend a sincere thank you to every student who participated. We were incredibly impressed by the thought, effort, and passion reflected in the submissions we received. Each student brought a unique perspective to the conversation, and it was inspiring to see young people in our community thinking critically about Irvine and how they can help shape its future.
While we could only select one winner, we also wanted to recognize several additional submissions that stood out to our review panel. In addition to our contest winners, we are proud to recognize our runners-up and honorable mentions and to share their work with the Irvine community.
2026 Youth Writing Contest Winners
Winner: Jay Bruce, age 16
Analysis: Who Should be Responsible for Funding School Buses in Irvine?
Honorable Mention: Claire Chong, age 16
I Pick Up What I Did Not Drop
Honorable Mention: Grace (Seoeun) Sim, age 15
A City Worth Walking Through
Honorable Mention: Lydia Berube, age 14
Calling on Parents to Step Up: Keeping Irvine Safe Starts With Smarter Bike Choices
Honorable Mention: Seoyoung Cho, age 16
Peace Without Freedom: On the Necessity of Expanding Transit Connectivity
Honorable Mention: Siaansh Bhadauria, age 13
Youth in Government
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