Emerald Coast Writers are pleased to announce the winners of our annual Youth Writing & Art Contest. We had over 300 amazing entries from K-12 in Baldwin, Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa Counties, inspired by this year's theme of "Beneath the Surface." Congratulations to the winners and all who participated!
A ceremony for the winners, as well as any family and teachers who would like to attend, will be held at Books-A-Million on Davis Highway on Sunday, May 18th at 2:00 PM. Students will receive monetary prizes and a copy of the 2025 anthology, featuring their winning pieces. Students who entered in writing categories will be invited to read their entries aloud and all winning art will be on display. Additional books will be available for purchase for $10 are on sale now on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/4m5vet9s
K-2 Art
First Place: Orion Williams, 2nd grade, Santa Rosa County, Cornerstone Cottage Academics Co-op, Becky Fleury "Great White Down Under"
Second Place: Gwen Lojo, 1st grade, Escambia County, Episcopal Day School, Ms. Caroline Wilson "Mama Octopus"
Third Place: Caleb Thompson, 2nd grade, Santa Rosa County, SS Dixon Primary, Mrs. Jimenez “Under the Waves”
Honorable Mention: Anne Warren Swindoll, Kindergarten, Santa Rosa County, Wallace Lake Elementary, Mrs. Rebecca Lyon "Beneath the Surface of My Imagination"
3-5 Art
First Place: Egor Tsybulnikov, 3rd grade, Santa Rosa County, Gulf Breeze Elementary School, "Under the Surface of Wars and Injustice"
Second Place: Lilliana Vargas-Collazo, 5th grade, Bay County, Deane Bozeman School, Mrs. Israel "Can't EscapeThese Thoughts"
Third Place: Wyatt Cossich, 4th grade, Santa Rosa County, Wallace Lake Elementary, Mrs. Rusk "Sunlight Beneath"
Honorable Mention: Alexa Perez, 5th grade, Escambia County, Pleasant Grove Elementary, Mrs. Freeman "Beneath the Surface"
Honorable Mention: Bryce Johnson, 5th grade, Escambia County, Homeschool - Liberty Christian Academy, Haley Johnson "A Slice of Life"
Middle School Art
First Place: Klara George, 8th grade, Santa Rosa County, Holley Navarre Middle School, Katie George "Jellyfish Merman"
Second Place: Stella Walker, 6th grade, Escambia County, Homeschool, Carmen Walker, “Introspective”
Third Place: Aubry Stokesberry, 7th grade, Homeschool, Gina Stokesberry "Ocean City"
Honorable Mention: Kenadi Kiernan, 6th grade, Baldwin County, Renaissance School of the Eastern Shore, Mrs. Kellan, untitled
High School Art
First Place: Emma Johnson, 11th grade, Baldwin County, Saint Michael Catholic High School, Kendall Morgan "Beneath the Looking Glass"
Second Place: Amelia Mayer, 9th grade, Santa Rosa County, Milton High School, Mrs Collins, “Diving into the Deep”
Third Place: Asa Moren, 9th grade, Santa Rosa County, Milton High School, Kenya Longmire "Inner Workings"
Honorable Mention: Abigail McDonald, 10th grade, Baldwin County, Baldwin County Virtual Secondary School, John Akins "Contained Behind a Face"
Honorable Mention: Isabella James, 9th grade, Escambia County, Pensacola Catholic High School, Farley Dodson, Untitled
K-2 Poetry
First Place: Elliana Earlington, 2nd grade, Escambia County, Ferry Pass Elementary School, Mrs. Smith "Beneath the Surface"
Second Place: Thor Coiro, 2nd grade, Santa Rosa County, Hillcrest Private Academy, Miss Angela "Beneath the Flame"
Third Place: Ivar Coiro, 1st grade, Santa Rosa County, Hillcrest Private Academy, Miss Angela "Beneath the Trees"
Honorable Mention: Odin Coiro, 2nd grade, Santa Rosa County, Hillcrest Private Academy, Miss Angela "Beneath the Night Sky"
3-5 Poetry
1st Place: Caroline Barger, 5th grade, Escambia County, N.B. Cook School of the Arts, Mrs. Paduani "Beauty Beneath"
2nd Place: Louise Lucas, 4th grade, Baldwin County, Bayside Academy, Emily Stewart "What's Concealed"
3rd Place: Sydnie Campbell, 4th grade, Bayside Academy, Alyssa Tuel, “Where the Animals Play”
Honorable Mention: Arhaam Hayat Raheem, 5th grade, Escambia County, A. K. Suter Elementary, Ms. Hassell "Beneath the Surface"
Honorable Mention: Sawyer Diaz, 5th grade, Bay County, Deane Bozeman School, Mrs. Israel "The Ants"
Middle School Poetry
First Place: Lily Asher, 8th grade, Springfield, Merritt Brown Middle School, Mrs Westlake "Below's Desire"
Second Place: Alexis Wilson, 8th grade, Bay County, Deane Bozeman School, Mrs Shaw "Dancing Over the Ocean"
Third Place: Audrey Peak, 7th grade, Baldwin County, Bay Minette Middle School, Kenzie Acton "The Silent Blue"
Honorable Mention: Sydney Maygarden, 8th grade, Santa Rosa County, Gulf Breeze Middle School, Sara Denmon "Beneath the Surface"
High School Poetry
First Place: Bryce Bowers, 12th grade, Santa Rosa County, Central School, Thomas Bowers "The Cracks Below"
Second Place: Natalie Blair, 11th grade, Santa Rosa County, Central School, Dr. Anthea Amos "The Hidden Shadows"
Third Place: Gracie Catanese, 11th grade, Santa Rosa Country, Central School, Dr. Anthea Amos "Roots"
Honorable Mention: Brock Reeves, 11th grade, Santa Rosa County, Central School, Dr. Anthea Amos "Paper Thin"
Honorable Mention: Destiny Doyle, 11th grade, Escambia County, West Florida High School, Mrs. Hurst "Bloom"
Elementary Nonfiction
First Place: Isaac King, 5th grade, Escambia County, N.B. Cook School of the Arts, Mrs. Paduani "Beneath the Surface (literally)"
Second Place: Lucas Senkbeil, 5th grade, Escambia County, N.B. Cook School of the Arts, Mrs. Paduani "Diving Into Depression"
Third Place: Mackenzie Cleveland, 3rd grade, Escambia County, A.K. Suter Elementary, Cindy Bradley "Beneath the Ground"
Honorable Mention: Emmalyn Riley, 2nd grade, Santa Rosa County, Cornerstone Cottage Academics Co-op, Becky Fleury "Hard but Breakable"
Honorable Mention: Ava Holler, 5th grade, Escambia County, N.B. Cook School of the Arts, Mrs. Paduani "The Play of Life"
Middle School/High School Nonfiction
First Place: Ryleigh Torres, 12th grade, Bay County, Bay High School, Carissa Kettering "When the Mind Takes Over"
Second Place: Rhyan Mclean, 10th grade, Santa Rosa County, Central School, Dr. Anthea Amos "More than Just Malice"
Third Place: Aiden Oakes, 12th grade, Santa Rosa County, Central School, Dr. Anthea Amos "The Dance of Death"
Honorable Mention: Phoebe Barbour, 10th grade, Santa Rosa County, Central School, Dr. Anthea Amos "The Blocky Fire-Filled Abyss"
Honorable Mention: Emma Posey, 10th grade, Santa Rosa County, Central School, Selene Payne "Beneath the Surface"
Honorable Mention: Bailee Hall, 6th Grade, Okaloosa County, Faithful & Blooming Homeschool, Beth Feldman “Whales”
K-2 Fiction
First Place: Matteo Douglas, 2nd grade, Homeschool, Jessica Castro, "The Magic Hole"
Second Place: Lincoln Dudney, Kindergarten, Santa Rosa County, Cornerstone Cottage Academics Homeschool Co-op, Jenna Williams "Never Go to Jupiter Without a Big Person"
Third Place: Iliana Johnson, Kindergarten, Santa Rosa County, Oriole Beach Elementary, Ms. Brandon "Jack and the King"
3-5 Fiction
First Place: Alexandra Benito, 5th grade, Escambia County, N.B. Cook School of the Arts, Mrs. Paduani "Below the Sea"
Second Place: Leilani Sturdifen, 3rd grade, Santa Rosa County, Oriole Beach Elementary, Ms. Montenegro "Beneath the Surface with the Blue Whale"
Third Place: Opal Barber, 3rd grade, Santa Rosa County, Three Oaks Preparatory School (homeschool), Holly Barber "The Princess and the Prince"
MIDDLE SCHOOL FICTION
First Place: Nora Straub, 7th grade, Escambia County, Homeschool, Stephanie Straub "The Other Side"
Second Place: Juno Arndt, 6th grade, Okaloosa County, Homeschool, Lee Arndt, “Nola's Story"
Third Place: Kayla Fleury, 7th grade, Santa Rosa County, Cornerstone Cottage Academics Homeschool Co-op, Becky Fleury, "The Leader"
Honorable Mention: Savannah L. Carlson, 8th grade, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa Online, Mrs. Kelli Swim, “More Than a Book’s Cover”
High School Fiction
First Place: Isabella Ingalls, 11th grade, Santa Rosa County, Navarre High School, Mrs. Hodnette "Ruled Not by Men"
Second Place: Lily Pablo, 10th grade, Santa Rosa County, Central School, Dr. Anthea Amos "Beneath the Dust and Leather"
Third Place: Tam Tran, 10th grade, Escambia County, West Florida High School, Mrs. Green "What Clear Waters"
Honorable Mention: Madalyn Dudney, 11th grade, Santa Rosa County, Cornerstone Cottage Academics Homeschool Co-op, Jessica Riley "A Grave Mistake"
Honorable Mention: Charlotte Meder, 12th grade, Santa Rosa County, Pace High School, Melissa Hutcherson "Trapped"