Poetry Society of Tennessee (PST) is pleased to announce the winners of our 2024-2025 student contests.

About the Contest

The contest divisions were as follows:

High School Division (Grades 9-12) Free Verse Poem
​Middle School Division (Grades 6-8) Free Verse Poem
Elementary Division (Grades 2-5) Any Poem Form

The competition was open all Tennessee students in grades 2-12 (public, private, and home school students) and to student members  of the society residing in any state. Students were invited to submit a single poem for consideration.

Contest awards for each division are as follows:  1st place $25, 2nd $20, 3rd $15, 4th $10, and 5th $5. In addition, 1st place winning poems will be published in a forthcoming print edition of Tennessee Voices Anthology. 

High School Division Results

Prizes

1. “The Waiting Room” by Aasritha Butti (White Station High, Ms Lauren Larson)
2. “Perfection, a Flawed Concept” by Eleanor Ibrahim (Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, Ms Edwards)
3. “Inevitable” by Eli Bennett (Concord Academy, Christi Marin)
4. “THE NIGHT SKY” by Rodney Walker (Concord Academy, Christi Marin)
5. “My Father’s Happiness” by Lina Jameel (Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, Carlijah Edwards)

Honorable Mentions

• No honorable mentions were selected for this division.

Many thanks to poet and East Tennessee State University Literature and Language instructor, Holly Todaro, who served as judge for this division.

Middle School Division Results

Prizes

1. “The Weight of Grief” by Sadie Perez (White Station Middle, Mrs. Varriano)
2. “Seasons Change” by Shreyas Vadapalli, (White Station Middle, Mrs. Varriano)
3. “Gone” by Masato Blake, (White Station Middle, Mrs. Varriano)
4. “The Man Who Died Standing” by Audric Anes, (White Station Middle, Mrs. Varriano)
5. “Draft” by Olivia Jackson, (White Station Middle, Mrs. Varriano)

Honorable Mentions

• “Between Worlds” by Shivvani Prakash, (White Station Middle, Mrs. Varriano)
• “Mistake” by Jaren Feng, (White Station Middle, Mrs. Varriano)

Many thanks to Alexandria Craft, a middle school English teacher in East Tennessee who recently earned her doctorate in Ed Leadership from East Tennessee State University, who served as judge for this division.

Elementary Division Results

Prizes

1. “The Old Man” by Walker Beddingfield (Columbia Academy, Mrs. Phillips)
2. “The Garden’s Mysteries” by Lila Rose Whitsitt (Farmington Elementary School, Mrs Pettit)
3. “War Zone” by Cole Curtis (Columbia Academy, Mrs. Phillips)
4. “A Little Flower” by Kassidy Crews (Columbia Academy, Mrs Phillips)
5. “Little Flamey” by Charlotte Davis (Columbia Academy, Mrs. Phillips)

Honorable Mentions

• “Beginning to End” by Lacy Kelley (Columbia Academy, Mrs. Phillips)
• “Night” by Maddie Gosz (Columbia Academy, Mrs. Phillips)
• “Pink Sky Poem” Duke Owens (Columbia Academy, Mrs. Phillips)
• “Childhood” by Knox Thornton (Homeschool, Mrs. Thornton)
• “Halloween” by Bofang Gabriel Wen (Baile Station, Ms. Shepherd)
• “Cozy Night” by Lily Fly (Columbia Academy, Mrs. Phillips)

Many thanks to educator and librarian Anne Timbs, who served as judge for this division.

PST Student Membership

Know a high school aged student interested in poetry? Give the gift of membership in Poetry Society of Tennessee! At just $10 a year, it’s an incredible value. Get membership information.