Over 600 South Carolina students sent in original work for the SC State Library's "Young Minds Dreaming" Poetry Contest, but only nine made the cut to win.
The poetry contest was organized as part of this year's May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture events. South Carolina students in grades 3-12 were invited to submit poems relating stories of a person, place, or an experience that made a mark on student's lives to a panel of nine judges.
"The State Library was thrilled at the response to the poetry contest," said Deputy Director Denise Lyons, who oversees the Arbuthnot Lecture planning. "It became clear that there is both interest and enthusiasm by many at all levels to celebrate poetry in a significant way across the state. We are grateful for all the support, participation, and assistance we have received during this contest. Our hope is that we will be able to continue the Young Minds Dreaming contest in some way even after the Arbuthnot events have ended."
This year's winners are:
Elementary (grades 3-5)
- 1st Place - Sonia Baxter: "The Beach", 3rd grade, Round Top Elementary School
- 2nd Place - Catie Coats: "My Grandma's Death", 5th grade, Oak Pointe Elementary School
- 3rd Place - Michaela Grindstaff: "Up Main Street", 5th grade, Oak Pointe Elementary School
Middle (grades 6-8)
- 1st Place - Nada Rahal: "Beauty", 6th grade, Alice Drive Middle School
- 2nd Place - Charlotte Hughes: "The Cherry Blossom City", 8th grade, Heathwood Hall
- 3rd Place - Michaela Lanier: "Destructional Peace", 7th grade, Blythewood Middle School
High (grades 9-12)
- 1st Place - Skye Robertson: "Dreams", 12th grade, Fort Mill High School
- 2nd Place - Gillian Moses: "Flight", 9th grade, Clover High School
- 3rd Place - April Williams: "Dreaming of Innocence", 11th grade, Fort Mill High School
The winners and their families are invited to attend a closed ceremony at the SC State Library April 1 to read their poems and meet author Jacqueline Woodson.
To learn more about the Arbuthnot Lecture, visit the event's website.
