Students win big at Scholastic Writing Awards
Students from Starkville were recently honored at the Scholastic Writing Awards ceremony at the Eudora Welty House and Garden in Jackson.
The students were among 192 winners from around the state recognized at the annual writing awards program, which is administered by the Eudora Welty Foundation and the Welty House and Garden.
Marley Roberson, a student at the Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven, received a Gold Key for her Senior Portfolio entitled “Evocative.”
Sarah Swiderski of Starkville, who attends the Mississippi School for Math and Science in Columbus, received a Gold Key for personal essay/memoir for “Callused” and a Silver Key for poetry for “Where Progress Ends — After Ted Kooser.”
Helen Peng, an 11th grader at the Mississippi School for Math & Science, received a national gold medal for poetry for “Southern Truths” and a national silver medal for poetry for “Yellow Ochre.”
Starkville High School's Makayla Smith received honorable mention for short story for a story entitled “The Adventures of William and Will-O.” Peng and Smith were not present for the awards program. The Eudora Welty Foundation, established in 1999, assists the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) in achieving its goals of celebrating the legacy of Eudora Welty, enhancing appreciation of her work, and encouraging reading and the efforts of young writers.