Meet the Authors celebrates the 10 chosen essayists from this year's This I Believe Essay Program. During the event the 10 chosen authors read their essays and are presented with their certificates of recognition.
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c4cb2cb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1540+0+123/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F62%2F37%2F7633a19c4ac4b8688a027c272fae%2Ftib-1.jpg)
1 of 15
— Grove/TIB 1.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4ed7fe6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/700x431+0+64/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc1%2F91%2F57520ca244eca0f8b88bd75c9f05%2Ftib-13-small.jpg)
2 of 15
— Grove/TIB 13 small.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fbe6815/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3024x1863+0+65/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe7%2F43%2F60c46b804236ab6e67445e82e6b8%2Fimg-8331.jpg)
3 of 15
— Grove/IMG_8331.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7926871/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1232+0+63/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F16%2F8a%2F14bccbdc490e8c02b2876c6670b8%2Ftib-10.jpg)
4 of 15
— Grove/TIB 10.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4eb6c8b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1540+0+230/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1f%2Fb5%2F4804b8b440e8bfa31746eeb7e7c5%2Ftib-12.jpg)
5 of 15
— Grove/TIB 12.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d25b275/2147483647/strip/true/crop/700x431+0+64/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F75%2Fa9%2Fec26d04540f091b3511f98c3bc14%2Ftib-15-small.jpg)
6 of 15
— Grove/TIB 15 small.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/419f59b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1232+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2a%2F2a%2F2400259c4992a3a5c5bae02f8703%2Ftib-14.jpg)
7 of 15
— Grove/TIB 14.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e09edec/2147483647/strip/true/crop/700x431+0+64/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F81%2F84%2Fd55e297e4cbfa1523f84f4e98156%2Ftib-17-small.jpg)
8 of 15
— Grove/TIB 17 small.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cf7cd67/2147483647/strip/true/crop/500x308+0+159/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8a%2Fb3%2Fb7922e5643489ab2ff16efe9e3ab%2Ftib-16-small.jpg)
9 of 15
— Grove/TIB 16 small.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/80cc512/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1540+0+123/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2Fee%2F0f08643e4c6aa0a8f2115ba0d15f%2Ftib-3.jpg)
10 of 15
— Grove/TIB 3.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0c85705/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1232+0+53/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9a%2F64%2Fe8732c004f5c9e4bf872583afe0c%2Ftib-4.jpg)
11 of 15
— Grove/TIB 4.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3f2a192/2147483647/strip/true/crop/700x431+0+64/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3c%2Ff2%2Fcee84d74438fb7d8cf23d34cc059%2Ftib-7-small.jpg)
12 of 15
— Grove/TIB 7 small.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/690eb36/2147483647/strip/true/crop/500x308+0+159/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdd%2F99%2F8f05e440400fb66d374da48880c3%2Ftib-6-a-small.jpg)
13 of 15
— Grove/Tib 6 a small.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ac8e168/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1540+0+230/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff4%2F74%2Fd9452abf4a68ba5c71dd463cd7b0%2Ftib-8.jpg)
14 of 15
— Grove/TIB 8.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
![Chris Wills](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/35d9464/2147483647/strip/true/crop/500x308+0+23/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb2%2Ffd%2F488ec313477fb51af27ee0dcf722%2Ftib-5-small.jpg)
15 of 15
— Grove/TIB 5 small.jpg
Chris Wills
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
This I Believe Illinois is NPR Illinois' annual essay program for Illinois high school seniors. An expression of where their minds are as they prepare to enter the adult world. This I Believe was started by radio journalist Edward R. Murrow in 1951 to allow anyone able to distil the guiding principles by which they lived. Special thank you to our sponsors: The Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise, BLH Computers, Illinois Times, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and Mary Beth & Harvey M. Stephens.