The literary work of 13 Gwinnett students has been selected to advance to the state’s Young Georgia Authors (YGA) writing contest. Locally, this year’s contest, using the theme “Promise of Gwinnett” produced more entries than ever before 293 entries from 83 schools. Contestants wrote about Promise, explaining how they show their potential, how their families encourage their dreams, why people strive to fulfill their promise, what promises public schools make to their students, and what they hope to do with their education.
From the many local school entries, the work from the 13 students listed below was selected to represent Gwinnett County Public Schools in the state contest.
| Grade | Student | Title | School |
| K | Skyler Arianto | My Promise | Harris Elementary School |
|
1 |
Avery Thornton | I am the Promise of Gwinnett | Partee Elementary School |
|
2 |
Lauren A. Bridges | Promise of Gwinnett | Harbins Elementary School |
|
3 |
Ashlyn Brown | Gwinnett Promise | Rosebud Elementary School |
|
4 |
Solomon Cho | The Golden Promise | Parsons Elementary School |
|
5 |
Maggie Robinson | You Have Promise | Level Creek Elementary School |
|
6 |
Zora Tucker | A Promise Well Kept | Richards Middle School |
|
7 |
Brooklyn Knight | The Promise of a Successful Future | Jordan Middle School |
|
8 |
Derek Dubon-Ortega | The Promise of Gwinnett to My Life | Pinckneyville Middle School |
|
9 |
Molly Thomas | New Land | Collins Hill High School |
|
10 |
Fateha Zannath | From My Promise to Yours | Discovery High School |
|
11 |
Noreen Ocampo | Of Growth and Gardens | Collins Hill High School |
| 12 | Alyson Thomoff | The Promise of Gwinnett | Lanier High School |
| Honorable Mention | Avery Britt | This Might Be Your Start | Cooper Elementary School |
A special reception honored all of the grade level winners, with all receiving a Barnes and Noble gift card and a copy of Lola Schaefer’s new book Because of an Acorn. Ms. Schaefer was the guest author at the event and spoke with students about the writing profession. In addition, four of the student authorsAvery Thornton of Partee Elementary School (K-2), Maggie Robinson of Level Creek Elementary School (3-5), Derek Dubon-Ortega of Pinckneyville Middle School (6-8) and Fateha Zannath of Discovery High School (9-12)were tapped as division winners for the district and received a $250 check from the Gwinnett County Public School Foundation.
Excerpts from all 13 of the winning entries also will be featured on the school system’s website.
