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 the family of Baruch alumnus Harold “Hal” Mattes Berlfein (’39), who wishes to encourage excellent undergraduate writing at Baruch after he was awarded a $100 scholarship for an essay he wrote. In memory of their father, his four daughters continue to reward the prize every year.
In addition to the cash prize, the authors of the winning pieces will be invited to read an excerpt from their prize-winning piece at the annual End-of-Year Celebration hosted by the Department of English.
All winners of the Berlfein Prize will have their writing published on our website.
To read more about Hal Berlfein, head to Our Sponsor.
WINNERS OF THE BERLFEIN PRIZE
2025
ALYSON BROWN
“Sweet Elixir of Life” in On Technology and Authenticity
EVA CASTANEDA
My Love and Disdain for Milk
TISHA MAHABUBA
Unalive and Unaware: TikTok Algospeak and the Transformation of
Digital Language
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 A Tale of Two New Yorks
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