Dublin Jerome High School student Vipul Shekhawat has been announced as the Ohio winner of the annual National Peace Essay Contest sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

Each year, a student’s essay is picked from each state and abroad for the contest. Shekhawat’s winning essay earned him a $1,000 college scholarship and an invitation to Washington, D.C. for an all-expense paid, five-day seminar in June.

Shekhawat’s essay, called "Genocide Prevention and Response - Lessons from Rwanda and Darfur," addresses this year's topic of crimes against humanity.

“Vipul and the other National Peace Essay Contest winners from each state are to be commended for writing extremely thoughtful essays that investigate, analyze and raise awareness about crimes against humanity,” says Ambassador Richard H. Solomon, president of USIP. “ I congratulate Vipul on his winning essay and am sure he will continue to be a leader on important issues of our time."

During their all-expense paid week in Washington, D.C., the students participate in conflict resolution simulations and meet with government officials from several agencies and the U.S. Congress. CNN newsman Wolf Blitzer, anchor of "The Situation Room" will address the winners of the National Peace Essay Contest at a banquet dinner on June 25.

For more information about the National Peace Essay Contest, visit www.usip.org/ed/npec/. The Web site will be updated daily during the week the students are in Washington, June 21-26.

USIP is a nonprofit organization founded by the U.S. Congress that works to prevent and resolve violent international conflict, and help societies regain stability after fighting has ended. For 21 of USIP's 25 years, the National Peace Essay Contest has inspired American high school students around the country and those living abroad to analyze issues of war and peace. Each state winner receives $1,000 in college scholarship money; while in Washington, D.C. in June, three additional prizes, for national, first and second place winners, are awarded, in the amounts of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.