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The Mays Writing Contest is held annually to celebrate our creative writers from first to twelfth grade. The contest and magazine are possible through the generous support of the Mays family.
2026 Mays Magazine
2026 Mays MagazineThis years’ prompt asked students to tell stories that connect our present to our past and to our future.
The winning stories provide, fittingly enough, a timeline that showcases the evolution of students’ approaches to the subject of time. These pieces range from time travel adventures—finding ways to help the present with this extraordinary power—to reflections on the passage of time itself—whether through the changing state of the world or the evolving mindset of the main character. Overall, the winning entries display a clear sense of hope, even as time presents seemingly insurmountable challenges.
—Mary Kirksey Griffin ’28,
2026 Mays Student Chair
Faculty Editorial Note: This annual creative writing contest encourages students across grade levels to explore creative writing and to be courageous. Works by older students may explore more complex themes and content.
First Grade
Winner — Miriam Lammers for “Miriam’s Wonderful Adventure”
Second Grade
Winner — Alex Helmick for “A Long Time Ago”
Third Grade
Winner — Evie Word for “The Unsinking of the Titanic”
Fourth Grade
Winner — Grace Glotzbach for “The Iris”
Fifth Grade
Winner — Victoria Hernández for “Time Travel”
Sixth Grade
Winner — Charlotte Fields for “It’s About Time!”
Seventh Grade
Winner — Emmy Peak for “Wait”
Eighth Grade
Winner — Jeannie Xu for “Take a Breath”
Ninth Grade
Winner — Shreya Manne for “My Country”
Tenth Grade
Winner — Stella Hamilton for “Bigger Infinities”
Eleventh Grade
Winner — Jillian Dobbins for “Grounded”
Twelfth Grade
Winner — Hafsa Qureshi for “Frozen Water”
Lower School Honorable Mentions
First Grade: Hazel Tollison for “The Time Musheen" and Saoirse Farrell for “The Funnest Ice Cave”
Second Grade: Charlotte Bremseth for “Time Mushean" and Sophie Sidhu for “Back in the 1950s”
Third Grade: Elizabeth Andring for “Treasure Now Found“ and Gibby Carlson for “A Twist in Time”
Fourth Grade: Shreya Yalamanchili for “The Great Discovery” and Eisley James Hehn for “The Sad Titanic Adventure”
Fifth Grade: Aniyah O’Kelley for “The Secret Creature” and Audrey Settle for “The Time Machine”
Middle School Honorable Mentions
Sixth Grade: Norah Weatherspoon for “Chloe and the Time Machine” and Afsa Aman for “Mars for Vacation”
Seventh Grade: Francis Holman for “Ten Franklins or More” and Evelyn Song for “Gallow’s Edge”
Eighth Grade: Eleanor Parr for “1995” and Ann Carter Lyon for “Stuck in Time”
Upper School Honorable Mentions
Ninth Grade: Osato Ogbeide for “Her Dreams, My Reality” and Jada Lin for “Stuck”
Tenth Grade: Mayra Arshad for “Ripples Amongst Coffee-Stained Pages”
Honorable Mention — Nadia Keo for “Reminiscence of Summer”
Eleventh Grade: Brooke Brown for “Thoughts of the Past” and Wesley Washburn for “Eleanor’s Stitches”
Twelfth Grade: Cat Carney for “Synesthesia” and Lilly Coggin for “Costume Closet”
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