Thanks to all who entered the 2023 KET Young Writers Contest! With more than 2,400 entries this year, the competition was fierce! Our judges have praised the overall power of student voice throughout the entries as they shared devastating lows, incredible highs, new perspectives, creative challenges, and hope for the future.
See a list of our winning poems and stories below. Click on the title to read our first, second, and third place winners.
And the Winners Are…
Graphic Novel
- First Place: Lucie McCaffrey, SCAPA at Bluegrass, Lexington, Fayette County with “The Wish”
- Second Place: Sylvia Mason, Noe Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Reclaiming”
- Third Place: Chloe Iranpour, Eastern Elementary, Georgetown, Scott County with “The Dragon”
- Finalist, Alexa Vaughan, Rineyville Elementary School, Rineyville, Hardin County with “Lost! A Survival Story”
- Finalist, Robert Zahniser, Beechwood Elementary School, Fort Mitchell, Kenton County with “Portal”
- Finalist, Callie Creech, Letcher County Central High School, Whitesburg, Letcher County with “Ben and Adrian”
- Finalist, Hannah Fiorello, Custer Elementary, Big Spring, Breckinridge County with “Secret Dovie Is On A Roll”
- Finalist, Maddie Schreiner, Lexington Christian, Richmond, Madison County with “Shoot for the Top”
- Finalist, Lainey Doane, Brenda Cowan Elementary School, Lexington, Fayette County with “The Toxic Teddy Bear and Ninja Girl”
- Finalist, Arizona Cloyd, Garrard Middle School, Lancaster, Garrard County with “The Thorn”
- Finalist, Samara “Mo” Mullins, Hogsett Primary School, Danville, Boyle County with “Axolotl Tries to find a Friend”
- Finalist, Emily Ross, Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts, Louisville, Jefferson County with “The Hairdresser”
- Finalist, Abigail Horn, Lighthouse Academy, Madison County with “Fedora Girl”
- Finalist, Emily Gibbs, Letcher County Central High School, Whitesburg, Letcher County with “Shifting Blame”
- Finalist, Harper Crosby, Lafayette High School, Lexington, Fayette County with “Pictures of You”
Illustrated Story
Early Childhood Division
- First Place: Rouen Inouye Adams, Hogsett Primary School, Danville, Boyle County with “The Jelly Bean Toilet”
- Second Place: Penelope Reynolds, Homeschool, Lexington, Fayette County with “It’s okay to be different”
- Third Place: Kinsley Iocco, Iocco Homeschool, Walton, Boone County with “The Lost Baby Rose”
- Finalist, Hadiyah Gauhar, St Matthews Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “The Runaway Blueberry”
- Finalist, Mia Lancaster, Glenn Marshall Elementary, Richmond, Madison County with “The Sloth Unicorn”
- Finalist, Luke Banks, Calvary Christian School, Winchester, Clark County with “The Ninja Warrior”
- Finalist, Luna Xia, Providence Montessori, Lexington, Fayette County with “John and George”
- Finalist, Norah Anderson, Hogsett Primary School, Danville, Boyle County with “The Strawbearie Cake”
- Finalist, Rilyn Steele, Hogsett Primary School, Danville, Boyle County with “The Flying Car”
- Finalist, Saoirse Harney, Hogsett Primary School, Danville, Boyle County with “The Three Little Kitties and the Big Bad Dog”
- Finalist, Advita Mishra, Tully Elementary School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “A Snow Day”
- Finalist, Charlie Abdelahad, Dunn Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Robo-Dude: Night of Shadow”
- Finalist, Laken Gullett, Burgin Independent School, Burgin, Mercer County with “Creeped Out”
Elementary Division
- First Place: Maryam Gauhar, Greathouse Shryock Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “A Mother’s Love”
- Second Place: Flora Barker, Model Laboratory School, Richmond, Madison County with “Fish Cat Adventures: Cooking Disaster”
- Third Place: Caroline Reynolds, Homeschool, Lexington, Fayette County with “The Squirrel Man”
- Finalist, Wriston Iocco, Iocco Homeschool, Walton, Boone County with “Noah’s Quest”
- Finalist, Audrey Dakin, G.C. Burkhead Elementary, Elizabethtown, Hardin County with “Octie Tries Something New”
- Finalist, Nathan Hardin, Hardin Homeschool, Louisville, Jefferson County with “The treasure at the end of the rainbow”
- Finalist, Dorothy Dobson, Bloom Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with” Eggo’s Adventure”
- Finalist, Hannah Adams, Harlan Elementary, Harlan, Harlan County with “The Brave Hannah”
- Finalist, Aubrey Lowe, Holy Family Catholic School, Ashland, Boyd County with “Hearts”
- Finalist, Josie King, Williamstown Elementary School, Williamstown, Grant County with “The Adventures of Merlin”
- Finalist, Maya Ayoub, Brenda Cowan Elementary School, Lexington, Fayette County with “Sizzling Star and the Perfect Planet”
- Finalist, Apollo Darnell, Holy Family Catholic School, Ashland, Boyd County with “The Life of Apollo”
- Finalist, Lucy Stewart, Pondview Academy, Eubank, Pulaski County with “Calculator the Annihilator”
Intermediate Division
- First Place: Caitlin Moynahan, Rosa Parks Elementary, Lexington, Fayette County with “The Color Race”
- Second Place: Aaron Cottongim, Glasscock Elementary, Lebanon, Marion County with “Ferociously Hungry Giant”
- Third Place: Aubree Newman, Adairville School, Adairville, Logan County with “The Brightest Black Hole”
- Finalist, Kendyl Nickell, Williamstown Elementary School, Williamstown, Grant County with “The Adventures of Cookie Dough”
- Finalist, Brittany Ramage, Central Elementary, Benton, Marshall County with “Take to the Skies”
- Finalist, Annistyn Flynn, Model Laboratory School, Richmond, Madison County with “Poppy and Her Adventure With Her New Friends”
- Finalist, Jocelin Ortiz-Melton, W.R. McNeill Elementary School, Bowling Green, Warren County with “When She Was Born”
- Finalist, Ava Williams, Laurel Elementary School, Vanceburg, Lewis County with “Mossy VS Rebel”
- Finalist, Grace Hardin, Hardin Homeschool, Louisville, Jefferson County with “After Dark”
- Finalist, Lydia Wilson, North Washington Elementary School, Springfield, Washington County with “Barnyard Banter”
- Finalist, Lyla Helton, South Floyd Elementary, Melvin, Floyd County with “Olivia and the Wolf”
- Finalist, Kayla Gloeckler, Stopher Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “How Do You Make a Wish?”
- Finalist, Kylee Kinsel, Laurel Elementary School, Vanceburg, Lewis County with “Cam and the Flower”
Upper Grades Division
- First Place: Abigail McDougal, Letcher County Central High School, Blackey, Letcher County with “The Gift of a Flower”
- Second Place: Hanna Zamana, Campbell County Middle School, Highland Heights, Campbell County with “The Deceitful Concert”
- Third Place: Jenny Young Lee, Newburg Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “How Do I Love Myself at Last?”
- Finalist, Zella Robertson, North Oldham Middle School, Prospect, Oldham County with “On the Island”
- Finalist, Jubilee Bodager, Bodager Homeschool, Frankfort, Franklin County with “And the Storm Passed”
- Finalist, Cooper Byron, Model Laboratory School, Richmond, Madison County with “Despicable Duchess Goes to Michigan”
- Finalist, Keira Hamilton, James D. Adams Middle School, Prestonsburg, Floyd County with “Thank You”
- Finalist, Zadee Kenzer, Newburg Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Vivid Visions”
- Finalist, Annie Halbig, Burns Middle School, Owensboro, Daviess County with “Holly’s Trip to Grandma’s”
- Finalist, Vidhi Patel, Newburg Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “The First Step”
- Finalist, Rebekah McAuley, Letcher County Central High School, Whitesburg, Letcher County with “A Boy’s Best Friend”
- Finalist, Ambrose Fetzner, Crosby Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Trickle the Space Pickle and the Nickel”
- Finalist, Lucas Glasnovic, Hollow Tree Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Shelly the Smelly Skunk”
- Finalist, Rebekah Russ, Crosby Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Sun of the Shade”
- Finalist, Jeffzalli Melo, Southern Middle School, Lexington, Fayette County with “The Very Rude Dog Toy”
Short Story
Early Grades Division
- First Place: Susannah Goodrich, Goodrich Home School, Frankfort, Franklin County with “The Courageous Explorers”
- Second Place: Jacie Lillpop, Kingdom Academy of the Bluegrass, Frankfort, Franklin County with “Cook Away”
- Third Place: Lily Goessling, St. Michael School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “The Lost Birds”
- Finalist, Aubrey Wright, Lebanon Elementary, Campbellsville, Marion County with “Ainsley’s Adventure – My Side of the Story”
- Finalist, Lucy Stewart, Pondview Academy, Eubank, Pulaski County with “Stewart’s Winter Surprise”
- Finalist, Acey Houchens, Red Cross Elementary, Glasgow, Barren County with “How To Train Your Big Sister: A Little Sister’s Guide To Success”
- Finalist, Beau Schweickhardt, Hogsett Primary School, Danville, Boyle County with “Beau the Brilliant”
- Finalist, Riley May, Flat Gap Elementary, Flat Gap, Johnson County with “The German Potato”
- Finalist, Alexandria Akers, South Floyd Elementary, Wheelwright, Floyd County with “The Evil Robot Attack”
- Finalist, Gloria Lee, Chenoweth Elementary School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Holiday Unicorns – Esther, the Easter Unicorn”
- Finalist, Keeden Day, Model Laboratory School, Richmond, Madison County with “Magic Waffles”
- Finalist, Anishka Sherigar, Model Laboratory Schools, Richmond, Madison County with “The Lost Princess”
- Finalist, Ellie Grace Barton, Hodgenville Elementary School, Hodgenville, LaRue County with “BACK TO SCHOOL AND IT’S NOT COOL”
- Finalist, Latcher Harbison, Red Cross, Glasgow, Barren County with “The Riddle House”
Intermediate Division
- First Place: Isla Dawahare, Dawahare Family Academy, Lexington, Fayette County with “The Spirit Within”
- Second Place: Lydia Miner, W.R. McNeill Elementary School, Bowling Green, Warren County with “The Tornado”
- Third Place: Zachary Maurmeier, Roby Elementary, Shepherdsville, Bullitt County with “Escaping from Kharkiv”
- Finalist, Matilda McConda, St. Patrick Catholic School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Choose Kindness”
- Finalist, Neha Chakkaran, Stopher Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Kentucky State Fair Chaos”
- Finalist, Collier Whitson, Glenn Marshall Elementary School, Richmond, Madison County with “Costs an Arm and a Leg”
- Finalist, Zachary Bayens, Luhr Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “The Food Fight”
- Finalist, Carrie Gladdish, Fairdale Elementary School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Breathless”
- Finalist, Evan Staley, Central Elementary, Benton, Marshall County with “Richard Goes World Wide”
- Finalist, Franco Schiaretti, Central Elementary, Benton, Marshall County with “He’s Lucky It’s His Job”
- Finalist, Kayleigh Denzik, Vine Grove Elementary School, Vine Grove, Hardin County with “Dust Bunnies”
- Finalist, Nora Tower, Dixie Magnet Elementary School, Lexington, Fayette County with “Because We’re Sisters”
Middle Grades Division
- First Place: Emma Rice, Powell County Middle School, Stanton, Powell County with “If the House Could Tell Our Story”
- Second Place: Kavi Bijayananda, Covington Classical Academy, Hebron, Boone County with “The Chicken War”
- Third Place: Avinash Koul, SCAPA at Bluegrass, Lexington, Fayette County with “Small Black Birds”
- Finalist, Calissa Yao, Louisville Collegiate School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Guide Him, Mrs. Wang”
- Finalist, Sophia Abshire, Brookefield Prep, Ashland, Boyd County with “Motherly Instincts”
- Finalist, Jiwoo Kim, Model Laboratory School, Richmond, Madison County with “Safe Spaces”
- Finalist, Evie Ewen, Louisville Collegiate School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “The Hunter of Youth”
- Finalist, Amay Xu, SCAPA at Bluegrass, Lexington, Fayette County with “Mother Bird”
- Finalist, Charlotte Garman, St. Albert the Great, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Rapunzel”
- Finalist, Zoe Childs, Austin Tracy Elementary, Glasgow, Barren County with “The Girl and the Tide”
- Finalist, Aleen Bakhos, Model Laboratory, Richmond, Madison County with “Dead or Dying?”
High School (9th-12th)
- First Place: Anna Kersting, Eastern High School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Blade to Fate”
- Second Place: Hannah Schadler, Lafayette Senior High School, Lexington, Fayette County with “No One Slayed the Jabberwocky”
- Third Place: Isabella Keyzer, Eastern High School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Learning to Talk”
- Finalist, Kennedy Shiley, Louisville Male High School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “August”
- Finalist, Micah Turner, Letcher County Central High School, Cumberland, Letcher County with “The Runaway”
- Finalist, Jackson Marrillia, Eastern High School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Flirting with Death”
- Finalist, Piper Smith, Western Hills High School, Frankfort, Franklin County with “Alone”
- Finalist, Larry Brey, Owensboro High School, Owensboro, Daviess County with “Only We”
- Finalist, Amelia Banta, Louisville Male High School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Losing Fathers”
- Finalist, Caylin Kohlstruk, Eastern High School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “‘Til Death Do Us Part”
- Finalist, Elizabeth Roy, The Frankfort Christian Academy, Frankfort, Franklin County with “The Feelings of Grief”
- Finalist, Francis Jara, Monroe County High School, Tompkinsville, Monroe County with “Room 125”
- Finalist, Morgan Larkins, McLean County High School, Slaughters, Webster County with “monogamy”
Poetry
Early Childhood Division
- First Place: Rhett Brown, Cassidy Elementary, Lexington, Fayette County with “The Lost Egg”
- Second Place: Franklin Smith, Liberty Elementary, Lexington, Fayette County with “The News on TV”
- Third Place: Garrett Thompson, YHWH Discipleship, Salvisa, Mercer County with “My Bunny”
- Finalist, Aeris White, Alvaton Elementary, Alvaton, Warren County with “The Heart of Life and Winter”
- Finalist, Hugo Villasenor, Saint James Catholic School, Vine Grove, Hardin County with “Soccer”
- Finalist, Namu Lee, Pathfinder School of Innovation, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Bees”
Elementary Division
- First Place: Mridula Balaji, Farmer Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “My Family Is There”
- Second Place: Sara Sokolowski, Model Laboratory School, Richmond, Madison County with “A Day in the Life of a Cat”
- Third Place: Theo Sykes, Cassidy, Lexington, Fayette County with “Crazy Shopping Spree”
- Finalist, Eliza Simkoff, Chenoweth Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Love”
- Finalist, Ruby Stewart, Pondview Academy, Eubank, Pulaski County with “Spring”
- Finalist, Ahaan Agarwal, Greathouse/Shyrock Elementary Traditional school, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Black Hole & Planets”
- Finalist, Cason Thompson, YHWH Discipleship, Salvisa, Mercer County with “I Am a Farmer”
- Finalist, Liam Myers, Garrett Morgan Elementary, Lexington, Fayette County with “2716”
- Finalist, Ava Evans, Tully Elementary School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “A Tree is Losing Its Leaves”
- Finalist, Oliver Braley, Lansdowne Elementary School, Georgetown, Scott County with “Get Money”
- Finalist, Kadence Clark, Glasscock Elementary, Lebanon, Marion County with “In Space”
- Finalist, George Betz, Mary, Queen of Heaven School, Erlanger, Kenton County with “The Green Shirt”
- Finalist, Magathi Velmurugan, Wellington Elementary School, Lexington, Fayette County with “The Best Season of All”
- Finalist, Sophia Meek, Mary, Queen of Heaven School, Erlanger, Kenton County with “The Firefighters”
Intermediate Division
- First Place: Amarani Blazier, River Ridge Elementary School, Villa Hills, Kenton County with “Does the Red Flower Grow”
- Second Place: Lillian Brooks, Athens-Chilesburg Elementary, Lexington, Fayette County with “Awakening”
- Third Place: Elise Thompson, YHWH Discipleship, Salvisa, Mercer County with “The Ballad of Little Chick”
- Finalist, Carrie Gladdish, Fairdale Elementary School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “I AM”
- Finalist, Currie Cesler, Fort Wright Elementary, Covington, Kenton County with “Sunsets”
- Finalist, Jaini Shah, Stopher Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Mother Earth”
- Finalist, Lilyana Glickley, Hawthorne Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “From Roots to Shoots”
- Finalist, Margot Fasciotto, Fort Wright Elementary, Taylor Mill, Kenton County with “The Forest of Change”
- Finalist, Arwyn Eldridge, Eldridge Academy, Blackey, Letcher County with “Written in the Stars”
- Finalist, Munira Mohamed, Islamic School Of Louisville, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Believe in Yourself”
- Finalist, Brody Fields, Murray Middle School, Murray, Calloway County with “Quiet”
- Finalist, Grace Broadbent, Sayre School, Lexington, Fayette County with “George Bard”
- Finalist, Darshini Uppugalla, Stopher Elementary, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Nature’s Influence”
- Finalist, Kira Thomas, Oak Grove Classical, Philpot, Daviess County with “The Death and Burial of William the Conqueror”
- Finalist, Yoo Lee, Pathfinder School of School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “The Forest’s Living Things”
Middle Grades Division
- First Place: Amanda Bastidas Diaz, Newburg Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “My Reflection”
- Second Place: Fia Gani, Bowling Green Junior High School, Bowling Green, Warren County with “Perspective”
- Third Place: Addie Sanders, Grayson County Middle School, Leitchfield, Grayson County with “For The Tyrants In My Mind”
- Finalist, Zoe Kasacavage, Winburn Middle School, Richmond, Madison County with “The Perfect Poem”
- Finalist, Maya Carbone, Newburg Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Melancholy Shower”
- Finalist, Sabir Stephens, Newburg Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Ancestry”
- Finalist, Ava Bogard, Calloway County Middle School, Murray, Calloway County with “A Magical World”
- Finalist, Noa Biggio, Aloha Academy, Fort Knox, Hardin County with “Noa’s Tale”
- Finalist, Presleigh Hill, Newburg Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Trouble”
- Finalist, Brady Francke, Henderson County South Middle School, Henderson, Henderson County with “Poetry is Hard”
- Finalist, Lucie McCaffrey, SCAPA Bluegrass, Lexington, Fayette County with “Starry”
- Finalist, Maggie Stone, Noe Middle School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Diamonds”
- Finalist, Olivia Landry, Walton-Verona Middle School, Walton, Boone County with “The Ghost in the Garden”
High School Division
- First Place: Evelyn Weaver, Lafayette High School, Lexington, Fayette County with “Escape Art”
- Second Place: Laura Gibson, Highlands Latin School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Sea Bird”
- Third Place: Bethany Creech, Great Crossing High School, Georgetown, Scott County with “The Second Choice”
- Finalist, Caroline Carlisle, Rowan County Senior High School, Morehead, Rowan County with “Listening To Sad Musicals In Math Class”
- Finalist, McKenzie Snellgrove, Woodford County High School, Versailles, Woodford County with “Freedom of the Night”
- Finalist, SF, MH Academy, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Toxic”
- Finalist, A’mareese Esters, Fulton County High School, Hickman, Fulton County with “The Home I Find in Windy Wednesdays”
- Finalist, Jake Peoples, McCracken County High School, Paducah, McCracken County with “The Great Divide”
- Finalist, Leila Greene, Eastern High School, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Goodbye Forever, I Guess”
- Finalist, Madelyn Blakey, Lafayette, Lexington, Fayette County with “Black Joy”
- Finalist, Lexie Wilson, Williamstown JR/SR High School, Williamstown, Grant County with “my life is measured in shades of green”
- Finalist, Isabelle Pittman, McCracken County High School, Paducah, McCracken County with “The Smell of Comfort”
- Finalist, Jenna Longhofer, John Hardin High School, Hodgenville, LaRue County with “Inky Ichor”
- Finalist, AH, MH Academy, Louisville, Jefferson County with “Black Enough”