The Hektoen Institute proudly sponsors a scholarship contest awarding $5,000 in tuition support each to three students attending community college in Illinois.
To enter the contest, students must compose an essay between 500–1,500 words on any topic stimulated by their reading of Hektoen International (hekint.org), the online journal embracing the intersection of art, literature, history, philosophy, nursing, religion, travel, food, science, and medicine. Entrants should familiarize themselves with the journal sections and must designate their two favorite articles with their entry.
The deadline is April 28, 2026, at 12 PM (noon) CST. Submissions will be reviewed by a jury selected by the Hektoen Institute.
Guidelines
- The contest is open to students currently enrolled at an Illinois community college recognized by the Illinois Community College Board.
- Submission of an article implies consent for your article to be published in Hektoen International, but publication is not guaranteed.
- Entries must be written in English and your own original work, created without the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
- Only the three winners will be contacted at the conclusion of the contest. The winners will be announced on social media and other outlets.
- Questions about the contest should be sent to [email protected].
Essays
Essays must be unpublished, original work 500–1,500 words in length and focus on a topic inspired by an article in Hektoen International.
Please save your submission as a Word document with the author’s last name followed by the article title (or abbreviated title). For example, an article titled “Big Hugh” by Dr. John Smith should be saved as Smith_Big Hugh.docx. Each submission should include:
- A cover page with:
- Author name, email, phone number, home address, and the community college you are attending
- A biography no longer than 100 words, written in the third person, that includes your current educational status, future educational/career goals, and your two favorite articles in Hektoen International
- Essay text containing:
- The title of the article at the top of the document
- The full text of the article in Times New Roman, size 12, and double-spaced
- References for quoted and cited material formatted in the style of current articles in Hektoen International
- Example: Florence Nightingale learned from the shortcomings of Crimean hospitals in developing her guidelines for healthcare facilities.1
1. McDonald, Lynn. “Florence Nightingale: The making of a hospital reformer.” Health Environments Research & Design Journal 2020;13(2):25-31. doi:10.1177/1937586720918239.
- Example: Florence Nightingale learned from the shortcomings of Crimean hospitals in developing her guidelines for healthcare facilities.1
Copyright (©) and plagiarism
Authors retain the copyright to their submissions to Hektoen International. By submitting your work to us via Everest Forms or by email for consideration, you consent to the scanning of your work by third-party plagiarism and AI checker programs.
Plagiarism is, in its simplest wording, claiming someone else’s work as your own. When you submit work or portions of a work that you yourself did not write, without giving credit to its original author, that is plagiarism. Plagiarism ranges from copying another’s entire publication to rewording portions and ideas from another’s publication without a citation.
All submissions should be the stated author’s original work.
Submission Form
Please send all other inquiries to [email protected].