The Berlfein Prize is an annual writing award of $500 given to three undergraduate students who have produced an outstanding piece of nonfiction writing.
The Berlfein Prize was established by Baruch alumnus Harold “Hal” Mattes Berlfein and Jean Reiss Berlfein. Hal, who was inspired by a $100 scholarship he was awarded for an essay he wrote, established the prize to express his wish to promote good writing among Baruch’s undergraduates. In memory of their father, who passed in 2014, Hal’s four daughters continue to reward the Berlfein Prize every year.
In addition to the cash prize, the authors of the winning pieces will be gifted the opportunity to read their writing in an annual event held every spring by the Baruch College Department of English.
All winners of the Berlfein Prize will have their writing published on our website.
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The submission window for the 2024 Berlfein Prize is closed.
Submissions from here on out will be considered for the 2025 Berlfein Prize.
WINNERS OF THE BERLFEIN PRIZE
2024
Alicia Grechu, “The Subway Dilemma”
Trevor Lam, “Protect Ethnic Enclaves”
S. Tavera, “My Linguistic Autobiography”
2023
Muhammad Elbadri, “Ode to My Silky”
Brianna Jo Hobson, “WOMAN AS WITCH”
Kadeeja Mohammed, “Rainbows and Religion: My Struggle as a Queer Muslim”
2022
Laura Fasulo, “It's the Sociolinguistic Discrimination for Me”
Pin Yuan Zhu Lee, “The Real Cost of College”
Rebecca Newell, “A Visit to the Seer”
2021
Danyil Blyschak, “Arrhythmia” in the A Tale of Two New Yorks collection
Roshelle Ferguson, “Natural Hair Discrimination and How Society’s Impact Dictates Negative and Positive Perceptions of Black Hair and Hairstyles”
Maria Jacome, “A Father's Strength”
2020
Ashly Chen, “Know Her Name”
Cedeem Gumbs, “FX's Pose and the Importance of Representation in Media”
Jonathan Peralta, “America: Land of Unequal Opportunity”
2019
Noshin Hossain, “Woman at Point Zero”
Stephanie Jones, “A Vision of Healthcare”
Victoria Merlino, “My Uncle, The Dead Man”
2018
Chelsea Booth, “Under My Thumb”
Benjamin Wallin, “A Nazi by Any Other Name”
Deja Washington, “English is Not our Language”
2017
Vincent Nikolayev, “Video Games as Art”
Rebecca Simon, “Higher”
Ashley Somwaru, “Woman Like a Man: Blurring Gender Lines”