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Charlotte Crosslin '26 Wins Sertoma Club Award

4/20/2026

St. Cecilia Academy senior Charlotte Crosslin was recognized by the Sertoma Club for her essay on AI and Free Speech as part of the annual Williams/Patton Sertoma Freedom Essay Scholarship Contest at their Awards Dinner on April 16.

Each year, Middle Tennessee high school seniors are invited to write essays on a given topic concerning freedom. The essays are judged, and scholarships are awarded to the top four essays.

Crosslin learned of the essay contest in her AP Literature class and found the topic intriguing: “Should AI-generated text be protected under the First Amendment?” To create her essay, she researched the field, applying the skills she gained from her strong academic foundation at St. Cecilia.

In her analysis, she posits that AI-generated text should not be protected under the First Amendment. The First Amendment prohibits Congress from restricting individuals’ rights to speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition. However, AI-generated text is created from an aggregation of many, so it lacks the morality, intent, and opinion that would come from a single human.

“I felt proud that the hard work I put into writing my essay did something meaningful, and I am grateful that my efforts paid off,” said Crosslin. “I am also thankful to my teachers and family who supported me.”

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