The American Meditation Institute (AMI) has named Jiya Patil of California as the winner of the fifth Annual National Conscience Month Essay Contest.
In recognition of her creativity, Patil will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship towards higher education for eloquently articulating her experiences of utilizing her conscience as her guiding principle in decision-making.
National Conscience Month, observed annually in January, aims to promote the reliance on individual conscience among citizens of all demographics, governments, school systems, faith leaders, non-profits, community organizations, and corporations throughout the US.
In her award-winning submission, Patil, a senior at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, California, shared her journey of overcoming persistent emotional challenges. She explained how she ultimately relied on her conscience to guide her thoughts, words, and actions.
"My mind races to more examples of how we exploit opportunities to help ourselves, ignoring how it may affect others: cheating on tests to keep up with the class, deforesting trees to expand agriculture, overfishing to maintain eating habits, etc . . . I hope to let my Conscience guide me away from engaging with this tragedy. By choosing not to feed into it, I might ensure my status as a loser to some––but I'm no longer willing to win the race if I have to cheat to get to the front,” she said in a statement.
Patil is also the founder of the Gold Bear Foundation, a non-profit that aims to support economically disadvantaged individuals. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded with over 170 members and has established 12 regional, national, and international chapters. They have supported more than 5000 individuals through donations of essential items and meals.
“Today's problems were born in the human mind, and their solutions can only be found in the mind. When we let the mind's Conscience connect us to the Source of our creativity, we will quickly discover answers that will transform our world,” Leonard Perlmutter, Conscience Month originator said in a statement.
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