Students compete for 2025 Georgia Poet Laureate’s Prize

From left Finalist Max Lee finalist Liora Yustein winner Jada Michelle Ellis finalist Rachel Li and Georgia Poet Laureate Chelsea Rathburn Courtesy Georgia Council for the Arts Credit Photo courtesy of Georgia Council for the ArtsThe winner of the annual Georgia Poet Laureate s Prize a poetry competition for high school students across the state has been chosen Reported by Georgia s Poet Laureate Chelsea Rathburn the top spot for this year s contest went to Jada Michelle Ellis an th grader hailing from Woodland High School in Stockbridge Henry County Ellis earned the esteemed award with her original poem titled Fatherless Echoes This year s competition saw over students from high schools throughout Georgia submit poems for the school year In addition to Ellis the other finalists included Liora Yustein from Decatur High School Decatur DeKalb County Max Lee from Gwinnett School of Mathematics Science and Innovation Lawrenceville Gwinnett County Jaiden Geolingo from Howard High School Macon Bibb County and Rachel Li from North Oconee High School Watkinsville Oconee County Each spring I have the tough pleasure of reading entries submitted from students across the state complicated only because it s hard to choose a winner and finalists mentioned Rathburn Discovering so a large number of powerful and surprising poems ranging in subject from history and family to the extinction of the dinosaurs I m certain that the future of poetry in Georgia is bright Now in its twelfth year the Poet Laureate s Prize organized in collaboration with the Georgia Council for the Arts aims to encourage students to engage in the art form of poetry as well as develop creative communications skills and self-confidence through their work Fostering healthy creative self-expression and engaging young people in the arts as a fundamental part of a well-rounded mentoring is a key focus of our mission at Georgia Council for the Arts and the Georgia Poet Laureate s Prize has been a meaningful and exciting part of that work for over a decade revealed Tina Lilly executive director of the Georgia Council for the Arts We are consistently impressed by the imagination and talent shown by students across Georgia and we re thankful to the educators who supported and motivated them through this year s contest All of the finalist poems are in the present featured on the Atlanta Magazine website Additionally the finalists were also invited to a private poetry reading at the Georgia State Capitol where they took a commemorative photo with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp The post Students compete for Georgia Poet Laureate s Prize appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta