The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas announced the winners of the eighth annual Social Justice Video Contest today. The grand prize was won by students from Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School in Lower Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania.
Students participating in the contest were given a choice of two topics, the empowerment of women or reducing consumption.
The grand prize was awarded to Gwynedd Mercy Academy students Addyson Fleming, Miriam Lemailloux, Elliana Grabon, Isabella Chiappa, who created a video entitled Mercy Over Materialism.
Second place went to Caroline Paine of the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall in Milford, Connecticut for her video Her Mind, the World’s Advantage. Third place was earned by Chassidy Beinlein of the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy in Louisville, Kentucky for The Power of Women.
Honorable mentions were given to three submissions: Reducing Consumption and Maximizing Memories, by Abby Shores also of the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy in Louisville; The Power of Women, by Kate Mincieli, Frannie Edalatpour and Emma Lomker of Gwynedd Mercy Academy; and Women’s Sports, by Caroline Myers, Reese Miller, Ryly Shissler and Maeve McKee, also of Gwynedd Mercy Academy.
“This year over 240 Mercy high school students used video as a means to explore and teach about the Mercy Critical Concerns,” said Mike Poulin, Justice Resource Manager for the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. “It is the most participation we have had for any year of the contest.”
The video contest was launched in 2017 as a way to connect high school and college students at Sisters of Mercy-sponsored schools with the Critical Concerns, five areas of particular importance to the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas; the Critical Concerns include Immigration, Nonviolence, care for the Earth, Racism and concern for the education, health and spiritual needs of women and girls.
96 videos were entered into the contest in 2025, the largest number since the contest was launched. The winning videos, including those earning honorable mentions, may be viewed here.