by Henry Ramirez, 7th grade

Respecting different culture and countries with equality around the world. 

Award of Merit

by Sofia Guevara-Flores, 7th grade

My poem relates to the theme because I can show my voice through art. Through art, I can express my thoughts and emotions, and anybody can interpret them in any way. Art can make you feel happy or sad. It can make anyone feel passion, hope, despair, and love, but more than anything, it makes me feel free. It gives me the freedom to send a message, to be creative with it, to inspire.

Award of Merit

by Olivia Min, 8th grade

There is someone I know of who has committed suicide with a firearm, and while the gun did not make his decision, it created an opportunity for him. I don't want a world where I have to consider if me or my friends will die each time we step into school, or that one of my friends will give up and have the access to. Through my writing, I wish to speak up on the horrors of gun violence as an issue that needs to be spoken about for our safety and share my voice to protect my peers.

Honorable Mention

by Olivia Min, 8th grade

In Remnants of Hope, I describe the importance of hope, speaking up to create new visions and change for our society by describing a post-apocalyptic universe that has collapsed because of division. I wish to highlight the importance of unity and equality regardless of gender, race, or other traits, and how as we divide into smaller groups based on surface level traits, we erase unity and create destruction, and the need to speak on this issue to prevent discrimination. But even in our division, it is possible for hope to resurface however persistence is needed to create equality and unity.

Honorable Mention

by Caroline Huang, 7th grade

To me, “showing my voice” means to express what I'm passionate about. My poem is about how love can make the world a better place, which is something I care about. This piece shows that even though it's easier to hate, only love can all fix the brokenness in our world. There’s a seed of hope in us. Hate tries to bury it deeper into the soil until it's almost gone, but love is the water and sunlight that pushes it out of the ground, opens up its leaves, ready to spread those seeds to others.

Honorable Mention

by Aanya Karthik, 6th grade

My poem represents the problems faced by bullying. it relates to the theme because it is important to show your voice, and educate the world on how to stop bullying or show your voice to the bullies and stand up to them.

Honorable Mention

by Bailey Stubbs, 6th grade

"I wanted to write this story because I can express many feelings in one character, love doing fictional stories and anything where I can create anything. I love writing because then I can change the story and make it fun, and something nobody would expect, rather than reading books you read every line and you can’t change it. I know when anybody writes that is how they feel but it is so great to have the feeling of writing that perfect story that everybody likes and you just feel good."

by Aashka Bhuptani, 7th grade

My poem is about a girl who went through a journey of speaking up and learning to accept her own flaws. 

by Coralyn Holmberg, 8th grade

This poem, “A Binding Of Your Heart”, represents the theme of “Show Your Voice” in that it describes the feeling that many are familiar with on a day to day basis; anxiety. Life is full of stressful things, and the feelings that accompany these pressures are often very uncomfortable. I wanted to capture the uncomfortable effects that anxiety has on the body while also focusing on the importance of taking control of these feelings. Just because something is nerve-wracking or new, doesn’t mean you should let your anxieties control you or your actions. 

by Aby Yatera, 7th grade

My work on animals is that I would like us to realize that animals are magnificent but that we are destroying them with global warming, which is changing life and especially that animals are starting to disappear.

by Matias Salazar Becerra, 7th grade

I would describe it as the strong situation that happens in all of Latin America

by Kai Fernandez, 7th grade

This story is about a boy who just started middle school. The boy has no friends yet, and is lonely. He eats lunch alone, and just stays to himself. However, the next day he gets invited to sit with some new people he's never met. He introduces himself and they all live to become great friends for many years.

by Hana Imai, 6th grade

Sometimes, we may feel uneasy, or afraid of not being accepted– but it is important to speak up, share our feelings, and exchange our opinions because it is the key to understanding each other. Don't be afraid to express your feelings. Show your voice– because this will lead to make a change in the world.

by Abbie Hairrell, 8th grade

Across the United States, so much is going on. Disagreements are present everywhere you look. This new generation of stubborn, little activists is going to change the world. But something they must understand before we start, words don’t mean as much as actions do. In times like these, I know it's going to be okay. I don’t need a reminder, I need reassurance. Reassurance that there is still hope, that people still see the good in our nation. Using our actions to stand up for what we believe in speaks way louder than our words ever could.

by Alexis Moran, 7th grade

I’ve written a poem about the struggles of being a middle school girl in 2022. I have insecurities, questions, and am finding my way in this crazy world. I use journaling and poetry to express myself and share my voice. I hope it will resonate with other girls my age.