Thank you to everyone who submitted stories and poems to the 2020 KET Young Writers Contest! The annual contest encourages creative expression and literacy development by inviting students in kindergarten through twelfth grade to submit original illustrated stories, short stories and poetry.
We are excited to congratulate the winners and proud to publish their entries for your enjoyment. Congratulations!
The top three winners, along with a list of finalists for each grade division, are listed below. Click on each story or poem’s title to read the full piece.
Illustrated Stories – Kindergarten
First Place: David Sun, Lexington, KY, Rosa Parks Elementary, David’s First Fable
Second Place: Nathan Hardin, Louisville, KY, Cirque Hardin, Screen Time
Third Place: Jackson Potter, Pikeville, KY, Wesley Christian, Super Brownie Adventure
Finalists
Maryam Gauhar, Louisville, KY, Greathouse Shryock Traditional
Lily McClain, Louisville, KY, Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School
Anna Mostad, Wilmore, KY, Shine Academy (homeschool)
Noah Poly, Lexington, KY, Poly Academy
Luca Santenello, Warsaw, IN, Warsaw Christian School
Anthony Tullius, Somerset, KY, Kolbe Homeschool
Honorable Mentions
Adalynn Kennedy, Hardinsburg, KY, Custer Elementary
Cason Thompson, Salvisa, KY, YHWH Discipleship
Illustrated Stories – First Grade
First Place: Raiyan Elmerse, Louisville, KY, Norton Elementary, Little Dish Tries Something New
Second Place: Alesha Hasan, Louisville, KY, Brandeis Elementary, Peachy’s BIG Vegetable Change
Third Place: Grace Hardin, Louisville, KY, Cirque Hardin, A Brief Encounter
Finalists
Madison Iocco, Union, KY, Iocco Homeschool
Lucy Anna Kirkland, Lexington, KY, Rosa Parks Elementary
Clayton Hettinger, Frankfort, KY, Good Shepherd Catholic School
William Worrell, Wallingford, KY, Hillsboro Elementary School
Kaleb McClain, Hillsboro, KY, Hillsboro Elementary School
Ali Jaber, Louisville, KY, Islamic School of Louisville
Sabeeh Ahmad Ahmad, Louisville, KY Islamic School of Louisville
Honorable Mentions
Elise Thompson, Salvisa, KY, YHWH Discipleship
Kumar Chetan Puli, Lexington, KY, Rosa Parks Elementary
Illustrated Stories – Second Grade
First Place: Liam Sweeney, Lexington, KY, Redwood Cooperative School, Gum, Gold & A Guy Named Jimmy
Second Place: Joshua Tanner, Olathe, KS, Millbrooke Elementary, Dunk the Retty Unk Dunk
Third Place: Stella Heathcoat, Lexington, KY, Providence Montessori, The Adventures of Nivek and Noremac: Crossing Dimensions
Finalists
Jenna, Faulkner, Owensboro, KY, Highland Elementary
Demi, Brown, Paducah, KY, Symsonia Elementary
Saanvi, Jahagirdar, Groton, CT, Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School
Isla Fauver, Louisville, KY, The Waldorf School of Louisville
Logan Potter, Pikeville, KY, Wesley Christian
Brycen Saylor, Lynch, KY, Cumberland Elementary
Maddox Moore, Louisville, KY Dunn Elementary
Honorable Mentions
Brandon Cain, Prospect, KY, Dunn Elementary
Blake Coffey, Somerset, KY, Northern Elementary
Illustrated Stories – Third Grade
First Place: Ani Fauver, Louisville, KY, The Waldorf School of Louisville, Midnight and Zippy’s Forest Adventure
Second Place: Lucas Glasnovic, Louisville, KY, Homeschool, Hero Cat
Third Place: Ryan Maya, Louisville, KY, Stopher Elementary, Look Up
Finalists
Peyton Kennedy, Hardinsburg, KY, Custer Elementary
Caitlyn, Douglas, Lexington, KY, Ashland Elementary
Lauren Griffith, Allen, KY, Wesley Christian
Alice Dobson, Louisville, KY, Brown School
Nicol Cohen, Louisville, KY, The Waldorf School of Louisville
Abigail Haxby, Mt. Washington, KY, The Waldorf School of Louisville
Kinley Mann, Williamstown, KY, Williamstown Elementary
Carson Fair, Lexington , KY, Rosa Parks Elementary
Ibraheem Gauhar, Louisville, KY, Greathouse Shryock Traditional
Honorable Mentions
Laila Hildebrand, Williamstown, KY, Williamstown Elementary
Saleh Akram, Skokie, IL, Mcc Academy
Asher Cohen, Louisville, KY, The Waldorf School of Louisville
Illustrated Stories – Intermediate
First Place: Lydia Kerridge, Dallas, TX, Greenhill School, The Positive Panda
Second Place: Huda Hasnain, Goshen, KY, Islamic School of Louisville, The Lessons Of Quarantine, A Squirrels Tale
Third Place: Sarah Gauhar, Louisville, KY, St Matthews Elementary, The Sacrifice
Finalists
Adah Hardin, Louisville, KY, Cirque Hardin
Tasneem Majdalawi, Crestwood, KY, Kenwood Station Elementary
Ainsley Woodward, Berea, KY, Berea Community Elementary
Lizzie Branham, Prestonsburg , KY, Wesley Christian
Honorable Mentions
Jahlee Reinecke, Cold Spring, KY, Donald E Cline Elementary
Gretchen Anderson, Coxs Creek, KY, Anderson Home School
Poetry – Intermediate
First Place: Ellie Gartman, Mobile, AL, UMS-Wright, Shadows of the Night
Second Place: Ava Burris, Owensboro, KY, Country Heights Elementary, The Soft Summer Breeze Poem
Third Place: Christopher Thames, Falls Church, VA, Haycock Elementary, An Ode to Soccer
Finalists
Sylvia Mason, Louisville, KY, Coral Ridge Elementary
Colt Cook, Lancaster, KY, Lancaster Elementary
Liam Moffett, Harrodsburg, KY, Mercer County Intermediate
Alejandra Villalva, Fort Mitchell, KY, Beechwood Elementary
Ava Jayne Carpenter, Danville, KY, Toliver Elementary
Lily Tay, Lexington, KY, SCAPA
Parker Fenush, Crestwood, KY, Centerfield Elementary
Allie Baker, Richmond, KY, Model Laboratory School
Grace Luxon, Richmond, KY, Model Laboratory School
Hayleigh Bowens Richmond, KY, Model Laboratory School
Short Stories – Intermediate
First Place: Alethea Hwang, Wilmore, KY, Wilmore Elementary, Loud, Loud, Listen
Second Place: Fatima Khan, Lexington, KY, Rosa Parks Elementary, Earth to Jenny
Third Place: Vivian Cuneom Sonoma, CA, Saint Francis Solano School, My First Friends
Finalists
Hope Darnell, Dayton, KY, St. Catherine of Siena
Makenly Pollock, Taylorsville, KY, Spencer County Elementary
Jaykeb McCoun, Lexington, KY, Meadowthorpe Elementary
Madison Bove, Colorado Springs, CO, The Classical Academy
Evelyn Afenya, Lexington, KY, Meadowthorpe Elementary
Zaineb Elmerse, Louisville, KY, Norton Elementary
Olivia Seaton, Louisville, KY, Stopher Elementary
Lilly Burrows, Crestwood, KY, Centerfield Elementary
Shiven Das, Bridgewater, NJ, Eisenhower Intermediate
Eric Gordon, Lexington, KY, Meadowthorpe Elementary
Daniel Liew, Lexington, KY, Meadowthorpe Elementary
Andrew Glass, Mayfield, KY, Mayfield Middle School
Poetry – Middle School
First Place: Luke Jeziorski, Louisville, KY, St. Agnes Parish School, Closed
Second Place: Josh Newby, Danville, KY, John W. Bate Middle School, The sadness that lurks
Third Place: Adeline Hall, Bremen, ME, Homeschool, i’m sorry
Finalists
Charlotte Clark, Greenville, SC, Sterling School, CTC
Nazli Kasimova, Louisville, KY, Ramsey Middle
Gavin Proffitt, Richmond, KY, Clark Moores Middle
Athena Mandzy, Lexington, KY, SCAPA
Nina Tay, Lexington, KY, SCAPA at Bluegrass
Reagan Ricker, Coto de Caza, PR, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
Kelly Keniston, Lexington, KY, Leestown Middle
Kaylee Belle Barnes, Irvine, KY, Clark Moores Middle
Short Stories – Middle School
First Place: Kate Ucan Ake, Louisville, KY, St. Athanasius, Sunny
Second Place: Alyssa Pollard, Louisville, KY, Noe Middle, The Little Bird
Third Place: Sierra Fox, Berry, KY, Williamstown Jr/Sr High School, Death’s Eye
Finalists
Lilli Ward, Versailles, KY, Woodford County Middle
Mara Bieri, Butler, OH, Homeschool
Hannah Clark, Lexington, KY, Bryan Station Middle
Emily Yoder, Lexington, KY
Hannah Cooksey, Louisville, KY, Highland Middle
Eric Hannon, Louisville, KY, Our Savior Lutheran School
Elise Schureck, Louisville, KY, Noe Middle
Cadence Woosley, Calhoun, KY, McLean County Middle
Caleb Masterson, Louisville, KY, Noe Middle
Poetry – High School
First Place: Sung Cho, Lansdale, PA, Methacton High School, Making Cups
Second Place: Abby Kane, Crestview Hills, KY, Dixie Heights High School, The Voice in my Head
Third Place: Lauren Wood, Louisville, KY, duPont Manual High School, Musings From Hope
Finalists
Ellie Whisman, Hardin, KY, Calloway County High School
Maggie Stuart, Owensboro, KY, Daviess County High School
Ava Gregory-Mabrey, Bowling Green, KY, South Warren High School
Jordan Cervantes, Greenwich, CT, Greenwich High School
Ania Boutin, Harrodsburg, KY, Mercer County Senior High School
Erin Preston, Fort Mitchell, KY, Beechwood High School
Lauren Young, Stamford, CT, Trinity Catholic High School
Jesslynne Mann, Campbellsville, KY, Taylor County High School
Julia Huff, Versailles, KY, Woodford County High School
Sammy Lambert, Paducah, KY, Paducah Tilghman High School
Short Stories – High School
First Place: William Greer, McAllen, TX, McAllen Memorial High School, Southern Hospitality
Second Place: Lauren Wood, Louisville, KY, duPont Manual High School, What the Future Holds
Third Place: Abby Kane, Crestview Hills, KY, Dixie Heights High School, Marked at Birth
Finalists
Kiera Fehr, Lexington, KY, Henry Clay High School
Ashton Long, Salyersville, KY, Magoffin County High School
Sabia Irfan, Ottawa, Ontario, Colonel By Secondary School
Kaitlin Chung, Horseheads, NY, Corning Painted-Post High School
Penny Duran, DPO, AE, Carl Schurz Schule
Jonathan Bell, Prospect, KY, North Oldham High School
Isaac Torres, San Juan, PR, Saint John’s
Lucas Jones, Midway, KY, Woodford County High School
Sophia Li, Lexington, KY, Henry Clay High School
Elizabeth Prater, Vancouver, WA, Columbia River High School