Bright and strong, the tall goldenrod is South Carolina’s state wildflower. We think Solidago altissima also represents our state’s best young writers. Here are 19 of them, each of whom composed an original response to our annual question, “How can we make South Carolina better?” Read on and take heart. These writers are bright and strong indeed.
Winners
First Place: Eulogy for the Fireflies - Elliott Kate Cooper
Second Place: Ask Yourself - Kat Davis
Third Place: Great Expectations - Yana Johnson
Honorable Mention: Fairforest Creek - Merrik Moriarty
Argumentative Essays
Our Generation: Seeds of Hope for South Carolina’s Future - Sarah Campbell Brown
Where are the Blue Bins? - Sophia Conner
One Clinical Word - Mylah Mathis
The Censorship of Freedom - Hannah Mitchell
Personal Essays
Signed Up for Failure - Elliott Braghirol
Lamenting Lost Mothers - Ariel Byrnside
The Mistakes South Carolina Makes When it Comes to Mental Health - Ashleigh Howard
Our Neglected Fears - Aseel Ibrahim
Thursday Morning Math Class - Jaimie Park
Poetry
Lines - Grace Davisson
This Place that I Call Home - Madison Graham
It was just a drill - Rebecca Norton-Baker
Dear Rosie - Shyla Phillips
Because Reading is, What? Fundamental. - Liam Quan
Short Stories
The Man and the Wall - Logan Morgan
Acknowledgments
The annual South Carolina High School Writing Contest wouldn’t be possible without other individuals and organizations. We thank South Carolina Honors College alumnus Thad Westbrook, the Pat Conroy Literary Center (Jonathan Haupt, executive director); the South Carolina State Library (Leesa Aiken, director); South Carolina Academy of Authors (Marybeth Evans, chair); and the South Carolina Writers Association (Kasie Whitener, president). We also thank Ron Rash, grand judge for this year’s contest, and the many high school guidance counselors and teachers who encouraged students to submit. The students in the fall 2022 semester of SCHC 384, Finding Your Voice: Writing and Editing for Life, were the first editors of volume 10. They are Eric Beck, Peter Caldwell, Wyatt Carhart, Colton Creighton, Georgia DiVisconti, Maggie Gordon, Tori Grenier, Erin Jacoby, Cody King, Jamison Levine, Ella Lukowiak, Sydney McKenzie, Sophia Milliner, Claire Smith, Natalie Truman, Sophie Verzyl and McKenzie Wood.