The Gaithersburg Book Festival has announced twelve finalists for its 5th annual high school poetry contest. Over 150 entries were submitted across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, centered around the themes of diversity or inclusion.
Winners will be decided by Sara R. Burnett, a local poet, who will announce the first-, second- and third-place winners at the festival on Saturday, May 20. Prizes for the top three winners are $250, $100, and $50, respectively.
Founder of the festival and Mayor of Gaithersburg, Jud Ashman, expressed his pride in the student poets in the region.
“In writing on the themes of diversity and/or inclusion, they have demonstrated the depth of their empathy and commitment to our diverse community,” Ashman said in a press release. “We are so proud to spotlight all of these budding artists at the Gaithersburg Book Festival.”
The finalist poems are on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website, where visitors can read the entries and vote for their favorite poem. The fan favorite winner will receive $25, and voting will close on May 15 at 11 p.m.
Here are the 12 finalists:
- Mikaela Aviles – Charles J. Colgan Senior High School (Manassa, Va.; grade 12)
- Harshita Chinta – Poolesville High School (Rockville, Md.; grade 10)
- Abigail Cho – Clarksburg High School (Clarksburg, Md.; grade 9)
- Emily Egna – Annapolis High School (Davidsonville, Md.; grade 12)
- Arianna Harapko – Annapolis High School (Edgewater, Md.; grade 9)
- Zora Jakes – Annapolis High School (Odenton, Md.; grade 9)
- Joy Jiang – Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, Md.; grade 11)
- Beatrix Maynard – Annapolis High School (Edgewater, Md.; grade 10)
- Gloria Owolabi – Annapolis High School (Hanover, Md.; grade 9)
- Lily Scheckner – Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, Md.; grade 10)
- Hazael Smith – Poolesville High School (Dickerson, Md.; grade 9)
- Haille Treadaway – Annapolis High School (Brooklyn Park, Md.; grade 12)
