In accordance with the previously defined provisions for the literary contest for the “Professor Borivoje Jelic” award, we are pleased to announce the competition results along with the jury's explanations.

Winners of the “Professor Borivoje Jelic” Award (2025)

The jury, composed of:

• University Professor Olivera Djokic
• Professor of Serbian Language and Literature: Mirjana Strbac
• Writer and Poet: Lela Markovic

This year's jury members each selected three outstanding works that left a mark of authenticity.

Professor Olivera Djokic

Professor Olivera Djokic selected the three best compositions, identified by the pseudonyms Zvedica123, Kamen123, and 1804078 , with the following explanations:

Zvezdica123

The student's language and writing style in this piece are beautiful and rich in expression. The parental lesson that runs as the main theme is the refusal to return evil with evil. Is there anything more important than teaching a child this? The work is also rich in contextualization, presenting various situations where evil is not repaid with evil. One can almost hear the pedagogy of Professor Vladimir Varicak echoing here—more necessary now than ever—reminding us that nothing can be properly understood unless a child's character is refined. Professor Varicak did just that in teaching one of the greatest minds of our time, Milutin Milankovic.

Кamen123

The student's language and writing style in this piece are pure, clear, and rich in emotions that vividly evoke images of childhood. Particularly compelling is the part of the work that conveys a parental lesson about persistence and diligence in work, emphasizing that through great sacrifice, one can achieve their life goals. And that, without limits. Whatever the young mind desires, spoken through the words of adults, can indeed be realized, for nothing can stand in the way of a young person. Reading this, one feels as though they're reading Ray Bradbury, the science fiction writer and author of Fahrenheit 451, and his childhood-themed novel Dandelion Wine.

1804078

The student's language and writing style in this piece are concise and refined, expressed through brief yet impactful phrases. The lesson the student remembers for life from their parents - that one should trust no one - might come as a shock. “How can we distinguish truth from lies, good from evil? How can we know if someone truly loves us or if it’s just a mask?”—the student poses these as fundamentally important questions. Here, one cannot help but recall the words of the Elder Porphyrios of Mount Athos, who said that every person needs a different remedy for solving their problems. In his belief, and in God's providence, lies the power of such childlike faith.

Professor Mirjana Strbac

Professor Mirjana Strbac selected the three best compositions, identified by the pseudonyms Veseli maslacak 494, Аnjа1234 and Каmen123, with the following explanations: 

Veseli maslacak 494

An exceptional composition, warmly lyrical and poetic in tone. The author is sincere in their self-reflection and in portraying their own character, as well as the educational role of the parents. At the center of attention is the mother, her quiet and discreet guidance, who distills the essence of her life experience into just a few words and sentences, showing that life is simple, and it is we who unnecessarily complicate it. The author truly feels the value of these lessons in their own life, receiving confirmation of their truth. The sentences are not overly long; the author possesses a distinct artistic expression, and the story is compositionally and stylistically complete. The theme is addressed consistently from beginning to end, with the parent serving as an example in both word and deed.

Аnjа1234

An excellent composition. Through retrospective narration and short sentences, the author achieves immediacy and a dynamic flow of events. They bring us closer to an episode from their childhood, in which they receive several lessons from their parents. A simple, everyday situation had a profound impact on the author’s maturation and revealed the seriousness of adult life. Naturally, the parent, in their selflessness, finds the strength to overcome the situation and bring joy to their child. However, the child, later an adult, receives through this story a lesson about love and sacrifice that lies beyond what is visible. Another important lesson conveyed is the meaning of schooling and the value of education.

Kamen123

An excellent composition. Through retrospective narration, the author returns to an episode from childhood. By combining the style of the American road movie (films with a travel theme) and bildungsroman, the story intertwines the motifs of travel and conversation on the road, which together shape the personality of the young individual. The father, like Socrates with his disciples, gently questions and awakens in his children a curiosity about their own future. He frees them from the fear of the impossible and, in doing so, gives them wings to reach their own heights. There is no banal sentimentality; instead, the motivating role of the family is evident—one that gives the individual strength and a solid foundation.

The professor also singled out as exceptionally good compositions Sunasce (a story about a child's lie and disciplinary measures), Zvono (not only the immediate family educates and guides, but also the Church and holy books), and Proces (family as an intangible value, parents as life role models).

Writer Lela Markovic

Writer Lela Markovic selected the three best compositions, identified by the pseudonyms Zvezdica123, Suncokret and Zvono, with the following explanations:

Zvezdica123

The author of the composition under the pseudonym Zvezdica123 demonstrates a free and authentic approach from the very first sentence, addressing the topic from a direct, immediate perspective: “Empty, unwritten white pages - isn’t that the image of someone who has just come into the world?” This spontaneity in transferring the assigned topic from thought to paper, guided by imagination in exploring the task, makes the beginning of the written work engaging and captivating for the reader. Through her approach to the theme, the author gives the impression that it is not she who is leading the story, but that the story is leading her. This is evident in the continuation, “a combination of letters, words, and sentences patiently waiting to be laid down on a handful of white pages”, which requires “a meaningful order, structure, and stability, so as not to create general disorder and chaos, from which it is difficult to find a way out.” Carried by the question of how to respond to the task, the theme guides the author like a river to its mouth.

In developing the topic, the author returns to a key element of the prompt - the parents, from whom a moral lesson is derived. She reflects on the role of parents as those who have created the family and carry the difficult responsibility of passing on their knowledge and experience to their children. “To pass on one’s experiences and knowledge, to teach what is right and what is not, to turn something that seems impossible into something possible...” , these are the three levels of teaching a child that the author insightfully recognizes as the parental task. She beautifully emphasizes these three stages of parenting, enriched with love: to pass on, to teach, to transform. This progression aligns with the child’s age, development, and maturation. As the child matures, so does their ability to receive, learn, and apply these lessons - from theory into practice.

In the next part of the essay’s development, the young author focuses on a particularly beautiful, soul-nourishing, and essential message: “Do not repay evil.” Resistance to evil, refusing to identify with it, refraining from committing it, and not responding with evil - all of these are contained within God’s commandments. Recognizing evil is also necessary in our daily lives. She astutely observes that every mentally and spiritually healthy person, deeply aware of themselves and the world around them, has no need to commit evil. A person filled with love is spiritually healthy - free of envy, jealousy, ill will, or selfishness. The author highlights that “raising children from an early age plays a key role in this. As does experience.” She stresses the importance of parental guidance and support, while also acknowledging that it is the child's responsibility to receive and apply that guidance.

She elaborates on this idea by drawing from personal experience - harm done to her, confusion, and ultimately overcoming such experiences with the help of her parents’ wise teachings: that those who do evil must be understood as deeply unhappy people, and that their actions reflect that inner state. How to survive in such an environment, how to avoid harmful people, and how to continue living meaningfully - these are the author's reflections toward the end of the essay.

In her conclusion, the author emphasizes the importance of heeding advice, obeying it, and cherishing one's parents “without whom life would be only half of what it is.” She rightly concludes that by accepting and adopting their valuable experiences, children are better equipped and strengthened for life.

This work is analytical, rich in thought and insight. It fully responds to the assigned topic and stands out from the other works by its depth and authenticity.

Suncokret

An engaging beginning of the essay under the pseudonym Suncokret, expressed through the contrasts of modern life spent in front of large screens versus quality time spent with family. The conclusion stated at the beginning, that modern life deprives us of time with our families, but that modern obstacles can be overcome through parental love and support, serves as a strong introduction to the essay's further development.

In the body of the text, the young author speaks about the values with which parents have paved the path into the future for their children. These values are the pieces of advice through which parents have guided and empowered the young person for life: that life is a long, dark tunnel, but with light at its end. The author elaborates on this parental message and explains that one must keep fighting throughout the darkness of the tunnel in order to emerge from it as a better person, shining in mind, soul, and body. She recognizes the importance of battling suffering, pain, hatred, and sin, forces that overwhelm us, in order to ultimately gain more love, compassion, and mercy in life. The author emphasizes that it would be impossible to emerge from such a tunnel without parental love and the support of one’s family...

She then beautifully describes the transformation of darkness into light, of thorns and weeds into flowers, and of a dark labyrinth into a wonderful garden «blooming with love, kindness, empathy, and compassion.» She acknowledges the difficulty of that path but underscores: “That’s why it’s important to fight.” She also warns that a single storm (a negative emotion or experience) can destroy the garden we have planted. But we must not stop because of one storm - “the sun will come after, and it will create new conditions for the growth and development of our garden, our soul.”

The essay is rich in beautiful metaphors, especially the comparison of a planted garden to the human soul. Particularly touching is the message in the conclusion: that it is important to fight and never give up so that “our soul becomes like a field of sunflowers, turned toward the sun and true values.”

This is a very heartfelt portrayal of how a student sees the importance of parental guidance in life and how it can show the right way to fight for life’s true values. It illustrates the need to preserve the soul from the temptations of the modern world's darkness and to experience the reward of a true struggle, perseverance, and personal growth so that, at the end of that thorny path, the soul is turned only toward what is truly valuable.

Zvono

The author of the essay under the pseudonym Zvono focuses on the theme of the values of an Orthodox Christian family, the lessons from their parents, and the teachings of the greatest Parent, our Heavenly Father. The introduction emphasizes that the family is the foundation of society and that parents are the child’s support, offering love and guidance from their very first steps.

In the body of the essay, the author takes the reader from the small church (the family) into the greater family (the Church). They explain that this journey was made possible thanks to their parents’ lifelong advice. The author describes their first steps in the church, in fasting and prayer, steps into which they were gently guided by their parents. Gradually, the essay introduces other parental teachings, all rooted in God’s commandments, which will accompany the author throughout life. They acknowledge the difficulty of the path taken, but also recognize the ultimate Goal and reward for such great effort - the Kingdom of Heaven. “The path is not easy, but with the love and support of parents, everything becomes easier,” they explain. The author highlights the importance of the priest’s advice and the lessons received during liturgy, which help them accept life’s challenges with humility, and strengthen their faith that everything will pass and that they must trust in our Father, who has the best plans for us - a sentiment that also concludes the essay.

This is a touching story of a personal journey, shaped by obedience to parental advice, which led the author to greater, lifelong teachings. It reminds us that, in the face of life’s challenges, we must turn to God for guidance and support, He will always find the best solution.

The works titled Zvezdica123 and Kamen123 received enough votes for an award in the first round. Since the remaining five essays - under the codes 1804078, Veseli maslacak 494, Anja1234, Suncokret, and Zvono — each received one vote, in accordance with the established evaluation methodology, an external jury member was consulted to select the third prize-winning essay among them.

The task of selecting one of the five mentioned essays was assigned to Professor Biljana Puskar, who provided the following explanation:

Professor Biljana Puskar

The “Professor Borivoje Jelic” Award, presented for the best student essays on the topic of family values and parenthood, carries great responsibility and obliges the jury to pay special attention to orthography, content, and writing style when selecting the top entries. I was honored with the task of choosing one essay for third place among the five that made it to the final round.

In accordance with these criteria, I selected the essay submitted under the pseudonym Zvono. This piece truly resonates with the chimes of unspoiled youth, pure and innocent, echoing with a melody that reflects deep faith in true values and ethical principles, in God who brings salvation to all, and in the family that shapes who we are. The author constructs the essay by moving from general reflections on family, birth, and the Church toward a personal experience and contemplation of the lessons received from parents, elders, and faith. When properly understood, these teachings lead to goodness, humane relationships, and a reality that becomes both comprehensible and meaningful.

After being decrypted by the commission at the High School in Nova Varos, the works, along with the authors' names and biographies, will be published on the official website of the “Petar Mandic” Endowment.

In Belgrade, April 10, 2025.