From the hundreds of essays submitted, nine were chosen as winners. Be sure to read the author's response to the winning essays, literary gems, and clever titles that caught our attention, and even more essays about identity in our Voices Gallery. College winner: Susanna Audi. High School Winner: Keon Tindle. High School Winner: Cherry ยท Family Traditions. A family's traditions help create that family's collective identity. For some people, this is an advantage because it helps them find their own sense of morals and ethics and allows them to enter the larger world already with an answer to some of life's fundamental questions.