The annual Young Authors’ Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Eastern Shore Literacy Association (ESLA) at Salisbury University, celebrated the exceptional literary talents of student writers from across the Lower Eastern Shore. This year, students from public, private, and homeschool settings in grades 1-12 were recognized for their outstanding poetry and short stories, with over 400 entries submitted for judging.

The evening began with a keynote address from local author Jon Andes, who published the children’s book The Legend of Billy Lee. Andes was joined by his illustrator, Olivia Momme, and publisher, Stephanie Fowler of Salt Water Media. He shared how his passion for history and curiosity about a George Washington photograph led him to research and ultimately publish his book. Momme reflected on her role in bringing the story to life through illustrations, and Andes highlighted the journey of finding the right publishing partner, which ultimately led him to Fowler and Salt Water Media.

The Young Authors’ Contest, organized annually by ESLA, remains the premier writing competition for young writers in the region. Entries were judged using a blind scoring method to ensure fairness, and competition was particularly fierce this year, with some categories narrowing down finalists from as many as 75 entries.

“The level of creativity and talent displayed in this year’s contest was truly remarkable,” said Brian Cook, Young Authors’ Contest co-chair. “With over 400 entries, the judges had a difficult task selecting the top submissions. It’s inspiring to see so many young writers using their voices to create impactful poetry and stories.”

2025 Young Authors’ Contest Award Winners

Grade 1

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Rylen Pedone (Ocean City Elementary)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Evelyn Justice (Ocean City Elementary)
• 2nd Place: Molly DeVaughn (Snow Hill Elementary)
• 3rd Place: Wrenna Jones (Buckingham Elementary)

Grade 2

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Thea Scherr (The Salisbury School)
• 2nd Place: Raegan Douglas (The Salisbury School)
• 3rd Place: Nicole Sebastian (Worcester Prep)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Cato Gelman (Showell Elementary)
• 2nd Place: Nicole Sebastian (Worcester Prep)
• 3rd Place: Madilyn Szymanski (Ocean City Elementary)

Grade 3

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Siraj Yasir (North Salisbury Elementary)
• 2nd Place: Quinn Westbrook (Buckingham Elementary)
• 3rd Place: Ellie Smith (Ocean City Elementary)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Gabriel Luppens (North Salisbury Elementary)
• 2nd Place: Milton Moreno Jimenez (North Salisbury Elementary)
• 3rd Place: Finn Fogle (Ocean City Elementary)

Grade 4

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Ostin Cai (The Salisbury School)
• 2nd Place: Samantha Kuna-Neto (The Salisbury School)
• 3rd Place: Savannah Green (North Salisbury Elementary)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Piper Grant (Showell Elementary)
• 2nd Place (tie): Sarah Allam (Showell Elementary), Grace Flanagan (Showell Elementary), Carter Justice (Ocean City Elementary)
• 3rd Place: Quinn Kershner (North Salisbury Elementary)

Grade 5

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Charlize Damouni (Worcester Prep)
• 2nd Place: Evelyn Caudill (Berlin Intermediate)
• 3rd Place: Asher Herard-Martin (East Salisbury Elementary)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Evelyn Caudill (Berlin Intermediate)
• 2nd Place (tie): Natalie Garcia (Fruitland Intermediate), Lucy McCarty (North Salisbury Elementary)
• 3rd Place (tie): Maisie Gill (Berlin Intermediate), Freddy Hertrich (Worcester Prep)

Grade 6

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Dorie Elliott (The Salisbury School)
• 2nd Place: Gianna Baines (Berlin Intermediate)
• 3rd Place: Ella Goebel (The Salisbury School)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Sally Falotico (The Salisbury School)
• 2nd Place: Tabitha Lauer (Snow Hill Middle)
• 3rd Place: Dawt Chin (Pocomoke Middle)

Grade 7

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Lea Jaoude (Worcester Prep)
• 2nd Place: Natasha Gonzalez-DeRocher (Stephen Decatur Middle)
• 3rd Place: Lorelei Broyles (The Salisbury School)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Paige Rohloff (Worcester Prep)
• 2nd Place: Lillian Ha (Worcester Prep)
• 3rd Place: Anna French (Worcester Prep)

Grade 8

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Clara Elliott (The Salisbury School)
• 2nd Place: Elizabeth Kim (Bennett Middle)
• 3rd Place: Ellie Wells (Stephen Decatur Middle)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Elias Baldridge (Stephen Decatur Middle)
• 2nd Place (tie): Ruby Windsor (Stephen Decatur Middle), Ruby Ludwick (St. Francis de Sales Catholic), Charlie Smith (Stephen Decatur Middle)
• 3rd Place (tie): Ryleigh Jordyn Cunningham-Hewitt (Pittsville Elementary & Middle), Sophia Nguyen (Worcester Prep)

Grade 9

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Lily Copeland (Stephen Decatur High)
• 2nd Place (tie): Ava Brown (Stephen Decatur High), Giabella Abruzzo (Stephen Decatur High)
• 3rd Place (tie): Nora Gorfinkle (Worcester Prep), Nidhish Gupta (Stephen Decatur High)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Angela Quan (James M. Bennett High)
• 2nd Place: Allison McIsaac (Mardela Middle & High)
• 3rd Place: Abigail Tan (Parkside High)

Grade 10

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Breanna McCray (Stephen Decatur High)
• 2nd Place (tie): Chloe Gilchrist (The Salisbury School), Raniyah Hunter (Pocomoke High)
• 3rd Place (tie): Peter Jin (James M. Bennett High), Sophia Leimbach (Holly Grove Christian), Sydney Parker (Worcester Prep)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Seryna Weaver (Snow Hill High)
• 2nd Place: Kalen Lin (Pocomoke High)
• 3rd Place (tie): Stella Martin (Home School), Breanna McCray (Stephen Decatur High)

Grade 11

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Riley Richardson (Snow Hill High)
• 2nd Place: Eleanor Zollinger (Stephen Decatur High)
• 3rd Place: Bella Masone (The Salisbury School)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Savannah Wertz (Snow Hill High)
• 2nd Place: Jake Timmons (Worcester Prep)
• 3rd Place: Catherine Cullen (Worcester Prep)

Grade 12

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Ziann Franklin (Pocomoke High)
• 2nd Place: Naadirah Hassan-El (Snow Hill High)
• 3rd Place: Emmalyn Fetters (Stephen Decatur High)

Short Story:

• 1st Place: Daniel LeCates (The Salisbury School)
• 2nd Place: Adam Baker (Stephen Decatur High)
• 3rd Place: Ava Baer (Mardela Middle & High)

About the Eastern Shore Literacy Association

The Eastern Shore Literacy Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing literacy across the Lower Eastern Shore. The association promotes quality literacy instruction by supporting the mission of the State of Maryland Literacy Association and International Literacy Association. It also provides best practices to educators and parents, advocates for literacy legislation, and collaborates with schools, professional organizations, and businesses. ESLA actively supports literacy initiatives and recognizes individuals who foster a passion for reading and writing.