Tetiana Winiarskyj, 15, was one of three U.S. students awarded a top prize in the essay contest "Taras Shevchenko: Why Does He Matter Today?"

Sponsored by the Ukrainian Institute of America and open to students ages 14-21, the contest was a bicentennial celebration of the birth of exiled poet and artist Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko, Ukraine's most prominent literary figure.

In addition to first-, second-, and third-place winners, the competition recognized 10 honorable mentions and 30 merit awards. Participants in the global competition included students from Australia, Germany, Ukraine, and the United States, with prizes ranging from $100 to $3,000.

Essays will be on display throughout the summer at the Fletcher-Sinclair mansion at 2 East 79th St. and Fifth Ave. in New York City. A national historic landmark, the mansion is home to the Ukrainian Institute of America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the art, music, and literature of Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora.

The Institute hosts art exhibits, concerts, film screenings, poetry readings, literary evenings, children's programs, lectures, symposia, and full educational programs, all open to the public.

Tetiana, who resides in Old Saybrook, graduated with honors from St. Michael's Ukrainian School in Hartford earlier this month.