Our annual Celebration of Youth essay contest has been recognizing excellent student writers for over two decades. Click on the buttons below to see the names of the winners and honorable mentions of past years. We congratulate them and are very proud of each one.
2025 Celebration of Youth Contest Winners
Grades 7-9
First Place: Caroline Wilding*, 9th Grade, Jackson Reed HS, Zurick Smith
Second Place: Ilia Milic,7th Grade, DC International PCS, Carly Klinenberg
Third Place: Eden Price, 7th Grade, Charles Hart MS, Dr. Takeisha Wilson
Fourth Place: Kristin Martinez Ochoa, 9th Grade, DC International PCS, Catherine Hendrix
Fifth Place: Max Toney, 9th Grade, MacArthur HS, Danielle Warren
Sixth Place: April Lewis, 9th Grade, Dunbar HS, Payton Persinger
*Caroline: 4th place winner in 2024, HM in 2023, 5th place winner in 2022
Grades 4-6
First Place: Adaeze Eze, 4th Grade, Barnard ES, Ms. Alina Majer
Second Place: Veronica Ayala Rubio,5th Grade, Bancroft ES, Ana Flores
Third Place: Helena Bunch,5th Grade, Washington Yu Ying PCS, Gabrielle Robinson
Fourth Place: Beatrice Weiner,5th Grade, Washington Yu Ying PCS, Amanda Ingram
Fifth Place: Quinn Koester, 4th Grade, Hearst ES, Amanda Lieberman
Sixth Place: Abenezer Behailu, 4th Grade, Seaton ES, Morgan Werner
2025 Celebration of Youth Essay Contest Honorable Mentions
Treasure Anderson, 9th Grade, McKinley Technology HS, Linda Wallace
Michael Avent Jr., 5th Grade, Shirley Chisholm ES, Jiyeon Lee
Caitlin Balserak, 4th Grade, Key ES, Simone Stephens
Sy Davidson-Rodgers, 4th Grade, Tubman ES, Cindy Morales
Eva Maldonado Gibbons, 4th Grade, Key ES, Simone Stephens
Kasra Gongola, 4th Grade, Key ES, Simone Stephens
LeaAnn Graves, 7th Grade, Charles Hart MS, Dr. Takeisha Wilson
Vaughn Johnson, 6th Grade, Capitol Hill Montessori@Logan, Dr. Clare Berke
Nikola Karacic, 9th Grade, MacArthur HS, Danielle Warren
British Kearney, Grade 4, W B Patterson ES, Dr. Tiffany Rose
Claire Marble, 5th Grade, Ross ES, Lisa Juriga
Ingrid Murphy, 5th Grade, Bancroft ES, Amanda Mead
Isaac Olumba, 9th Grade, MacArthur HS, Danielle Warren
Mateo Perez, 9th Grade, MacArthur HS, Danielle Warren
Khalyl Pitts, 9th Grade, Dunbar HS, Jamal Hansberry
Vivian Seline, 4th Grade, Key ES, Ms. Stephens
Tyrese Smith, 8th Grade, Charles Hart MS, James Isreal
Lily Stemple*, 7th Grade, Brookland MS, Brittney Mitchell
Aniyah Stewart, 5th Grade, Burrville ES, Twana Bradley
Adelaide Stitziel*, 7th Grade, Alice Deal MS, Amanda Hubbard
Austin Strauss*, 5th Grade, Bancroft ES, Vilma Luque
Elliana Strauss*, 8th Grade, Alice Deal MS, Ms. Cunha
Camilla Styles, 7th grade, Capitol Hill Montessori@Logan, Dr. Clare Berke
Princewill Taku-Bisong, 9th Grade, Mckinley Technology HS, Linda Wallace
Sofia Tipton*, 6th Grade, Alice Deal MS, Kaitlyn Johnson
Sloane Wardzinski, 9th Grade, MacArthur HS, Danielle Warren
Marita West, 9th Grade, Dunbar HS, Payton Persinger
Sanielle White, 7th Grade, Wheatley EC, Lynette Williams Thomas
Landon Wright, 4th grade, Shirley Chisholm ES, Ndidika Ignacio
Helen Zehner, 4th Grade, Key ES, Simone Stephens
*Adelaide: Special Mention in 2024, 2023, *Austin: Special Mention in 2024,
*Elliana: 4th pl. winner in 2022, Honorable Mention 2024, 2023, *Lily: Honorable Mention 2024, 2023
*Sofia: First Place Winner in 2024
2025 Celebration of Youth Essay Contest Special Mentions
Shalai Abney, 6th Grade, Capitol Hill Montessori@Logan, Dr. Clare Berke
Annabella Austermuhle, 5th Grade, John Eaton ES, Angelo Parodi
Will Barsamian, 4th Grade, Key ES, Simone Stephens
Channing Briscoe, 8th Grade, Capitol Hill Montessori@Logan, Dr. Clare Berke
Adeline Brock, 9th Grade, DC International PCS, Natalie Barbieri
Paloma Buente, 5th Grade, Bruce Monroe@Parkview ES, Cesarina Santana
Veronica Burke, 9th Grade, MacArthur HS, Jonathan Frederick
Brenda Amaya Castro, 4th Grade, Tubman ES, Ms. Morales-Molina & Ms. Wheat
Sadie Dabbs, 5th Grade, Washington Yu Ying PCS, Gabrille Robinson
Kendall Davis, 4th Grade, Barnard ES, Alina Majer
Zamarri Edwards, 9th Grade, MacArthur HS, Danielle Warren
Sebastian Frias, 7th Grade, Deal MS, Dr.Takeisha Wilson
Menelik Forrester, 5th Grade, Shirely Chisholm ES, Julianne Williams
Mohammed Jambai, 9th Grade, Dunbar HS, Jamal Hansberry
Logan James, 5th Grade, Murch ES, Margaret Deegan
Demi Johnson, 6th Grade, Capitol Hill Montessori@Logan, Dr. Clare Berke
Iris M.Jones, 5th Grade, Van Ness ES, Sofia Corporan
Vivienne Kelsey, 5th Grade, Washington Latin PCS, Ms. Bauer
Maya Levine, 5th Grade, Lafayette ES, Ms. Wojtas
Alice Lupu, 5th Grade, Bancroft ES, Stephanie Dugan
Kashaud Mack, 8th Grade, Charles Hart MS, James Isreal
Mizay Mitchell, 9th Grade, Paul Laurence Dunbar HS, Jamal Hansberry
Ava J. Montgomery, 5th Grade, Shirely Chisholm ES, Julianne Williams
Isabel Montgomery, 5th Grade, Shirely Chisholm ES, Julianne Williams
Irena Pearlstein, 7th Grade, Brookland MS, Brittney Mitchell
Kieran Popat, 4th Grade, Barnard ES, Alina Majer-Robbins
Wisal Redi, 4th Grade, Tubman ES, Ms. Morales-Molina & Ms. Wheat
Sage Robinson, 5th Grade, Bruce Monroe@Parkview, Cesarina Pierre
Noah Sproul, 9th Grade MacArthur HS, Danielle Warren
Ebtisam Temam, 9th Grade, DC International PCS
Lucy Thompson, 4th Grade, Key ES, Simone Stephens
Matthew Wallace, 4th Grade, W. B. Patterson ES, Dr. Tiffany Rose
Ann-Marie Williams, 9th Grade, McKinley Technology HS, Linda Wallace
Kinah Williams, 4th Grade, John Burroughs ES, Doreen Pinnock Gabbidon