Olivia English-Saunders, Michigan State University – Virginia, $1,500
By Olivia English-Saunders
I always tried to be religious. In Texas, I grew up watching my friends pull out their pink bibles inscribed with a glittery cross, flipping through its thin pages for nighttime prayer, and sometimes showing me some of their favorite lessons and stories from it. This was a routine for every single sleepover — I so desperately wanted to be a part of it. And, not only to own one of those girly holy books, but to be a part of something that seemed to make everyone else so happy. I wanted to understand what it was like.
