“Beep. Beep. 6.30 am. Tuesday.

In an instant the relentless ringing of my alarm jolts me out of sleep and thrusts me into the new day. The song of blackbirds. The indiscernible chatter of street workers. Life is budding outside in its myriad of colours and my desire to feel it, smell it, taste it, tugs me out of bed and to my pink, bulky wardrobe.

I open the doors and proudly pass through my assortment of trousers to select the mood of the day: Vivacious yellow, serene purple, inquisitive orange, white. White trousers. Why haven’t I thrown them away yet? White trousers are for the common crowd or is it for those who dread judgement…? Inquisitive orange it is. I finish dressing, brush my teeth, grab the car keys and head off to work.”

This is how Elina Quito’s winning essay When We Turned Into Numbers begins.

With a moment most of us know: Waking up. Getting dressed. Choosing who we want to be that day.

That essay went on to win #2 Global Winner in the Creative category of The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition 2025.

Elina is from Germany. She’s a student. And she wrote clearly, boldly. As herself. That’s why it worked.