This qualitative study integrated understudied factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, and major that affect the content and emotional tone of college students' writing about global issues. Textual analysis was performed on 1511 written essay responses to an open-ended assessment prompt that was conducted for regional accreditation purposes. There were significant differences in topic choice and concomitant emotion intensities related to student demographics. Findings suggest critical strategies for instructors focusing on global engagement, including acknowledging the role of student agency and potential emotional engagement in selected global issues.