Mahopac High School sophomore Olivia Tani recently traveled to London after being named a finalist in the 2026 John Locke Global Essay Prize competition, an international academic competition that attracted more than 100,000 students from 183 countries.
Tani was among the students shortlisted for the competition and was invited to attend the John Locke Academic Conference and Awards Ceremony in London, held Oct. 2-4. The experience brought together shortlisted students from around the world for an opportunity to engage with other young scholars and explore their academic interests.
For Tani, the experience has already influenced the direction she hopes to take in college. She had been considering political science as an undergraduate major because of her interest in becoming a lawyer, but the essay process opened her eyes to another possibility.
“This experience changed a lot for me,” Tani said. “I want to be a lawyer, and I was originally considering studying political science, but now I’m interested in studying philosophy. I really enjoyed looking at an argument from different perspectives and thinking through all sides of an issue, and I can see how those skills could help me become a better lawyer someday.”
Principal Patrick Keevins said the entire Mahopac High School community is proud of Tani’s accomplishment.
“Being shortlisted for a competition of this caliber is an incredible accomplishment, especially as a sophomore,” Keevins said. “Olivia should be very proud of the work, thought and persistence that brought her to this point. We are proud to see a Mahopac student take on an academic challenge of this level and represent our school on an international stage.”
