Prologue
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 18 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 – My Name, My Roots, My Home by Dayanara Reyes
Second Place – I Promise, You're Not Forgotten by Zayd Kidwai
Third Place – "Hands Up!" by Brookelynn Little
Honorable Mention – A Queer Child's Lullaby by Lily Heiner
Argumentative Essays
Savoring Heritage, Saving Health by Kensley Green
Education and the Role It Plays in the Development of Democracy by Brantley Metcalf
Navigating Towards Equity: We Need to Inspire Change by Raghav Pallapothu
The Red Flood of Ignorance by Davies Roberts
Education Inequality: The Need for Reform by Justin Schlag
Dollars for Scholars by Sophia Strobel
Fiction
Thirty-One Seconds by Shaina Dashiell
Tangled Love by Catherine Milburn
The Dealer's Daughter by Kendall Pifer
Personal Essays
State-Owned by Abigail Bailey
Chronology of My Neighborhood by Avelyn Bailey
Roadkills by Kimora Brown
The State of My Identity by Eunwoo Choi
Satire
Subarus, Trucks, Giraffes, and Unity by Kristin Rotchford
Acknowledgements
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 (Wilmot Irvin, chair); and the South Carolina Writers Association (Ash Smith, president). We also thank Felicia Mitchell, 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 2023 semester of SCHC 384, Finding Your Voice: Writing and Editing for Life, were the first editors of volume 11. They are Alex Alleyne, Allison DeHart, Catherine DeMino, Lauren Douglas, Abigail Elliott, Seth Gould, Isabel Jordan, Hannah Augsbach Lamma, Sanskruti Patel, Paul Ward Pratz, Ronnie Rahenkamp, Rylyn Reynolds, Alexis Simpson, Caroline Smith and Kennedy Westendorff.