Department News
2023-2024 Award Winners
2023 Friends of Rochester Public Library Sokol Awards
Prose:
2nd place—Grayce Peltz
3rd place–Haylee Grove
Poetry:
2nd place—Kianely Otero
3rd place—Adelaide Lawson
Performance:
1st place–John Hall
2023 Scholastic Art and Writing competition, National and East Region:
Markus Curtis, Gold Key for Poetry
Kianely Otero, Honorable Mention, Poetry
Emily Quintana, Honorable Mention, Poetry
NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing, 2024
Miriam Parham, Superior Rating
CONGRATULATIONS to our 2023 Sokol WINNERS!
Prose
2nd place ($200): The Alaskan Choice, Myles Able-Kehoe, 10th grade, School of the Arts
Poetry
1st Place ($300): Surrounded, Nicholas Cutaia, 10th grade, School of the Arts
3rd Place ($100): For everyone who doesn’t know where they come from, Elani Spencer, 12th grade, School of the Arts
Performance
1st Place ($300): Cities, Elani Spencer, 12th grade, School of the Arts
A special note to Elani, winner in two Sokol categories this year (and was a winner last year as well). Great job, writers!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Elani Spencer who received a Scholastic Writing Competition National Gold Medal for her poetry collection on March 22, 2023:
"How to Ask Your Black Mother for a Therapist," " For everyone who doesn't know where they come from," " Freshman Fifteen," " Wash Day, Rebirth," "Food for my Soul".
As a National Award winner, Elani has been invited to register for a weekend of events in New York City and an awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall along with possible publication in The Best Teen Writing of 2023. The National Awards Week in New York City is June 7-9, 2023
The following Creative Writing majors at School of the Arts received awards in the 2023 Scholastic Art and Writing competition, Region--EAST in February, 2023:
Elani Spencer, 12th grade, Poetry Collection, Gold Key, and Writing Portfolio, Silver Key
Adrian Mohr, 11th, Short Story, Silver Key
Grayce Peltz, 10th, Flash Fiction, Gold Key
Sasha Ruth, 10th, Personal Essay and Memoir, Honorable Mention
Gold Key winners will advance to the National Competition with notification at the end of March.
Juneteenth Slam Poetry Event - Notice of SOTA Creative Writing Major Winner, June 2022
Senior Elani Spencer participated in the Juneteenth Celebration at University of Rochester where her poem was displayed, and won 1st place in the Juneteenth Slam Poetry event held at Highland Bowl.
Student/Alumni Publications & Award Winners (2021-2022):
Teen Ink
Nicholas Cutaia: http://teenink.com/fiction/thriller_mystery/article/1162031/The-Girl-Who-Could-Read-Minds
Miriam Parnam: https://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/all/article/1162295/The-Growth-Of-A-Sprout
Grayce Peltz: http://teenink.com/poetry/free_verse/article/1162200/Constellation
Scholastic Award Winners, 2022:
Hannah Gallegos,12th grade, Silver, poetry
Ariel Haak, 12th grade, Honorable Mention, poetry
Pia Nielsen, 12th grade, Gold, poetry
Kianely Otero, 10th grade, Silver, poetry
David Sweeney, 12th grade, Honorable Mention, Flash Fiction
Simone Walden, 12th grade, Gold, poetry
Scholastic Award Winners, 2021:
Madison Sutherland, 12th grade....honorable mention, poetry
Fowzia Abdi, 9th grade ............ Silver Key, poetry
Tashiana Williams, 10th grade .... Silver Key, Poetry
Elani Spencer, 10th grade........... Gold Key, Poetry
2022: Sokol Awards--Friends of the Rochester Public Library, writing contest:
Grayce Peltz, 9th grade, 1st place prose
Elani Spencer, 11th grade, 2nd place poetry
Aries Champion, 12th grade, 3rd place in Poetry
Gannon University High School Poetry Contest, 2020-2022:
Harrrison Jurenko: Poem “The First Time,” honorable mention (2022)
Tali Beckwith-Cohen, 3rd place winner, poem (2021)
Raeona Hampton, 1st place winner, poem (2020)