Newton County Schools Announces 2026 District Winners of Young Georgia Authors Competition
Newton County Schools (NCS) is proud to announce the 2026 district-level winners of the Young Georgia Authors (YGA) Competition, celebrating outstanding student writing from across the district.
The Young Georgia Authors Competition is unique in that it does not provide a specific prompt or restrict students to a particular genre. Instead, students are encouraged to showcase their creativity and voice through original works of writing up to 1,900 words in length. Submissions may include short stories, poetry, essays, journalism pieces, academic research reports, personal narratives, or other original compositions.
Entries are evaluated based on the strength of ideas, clarity and creativity of expression, effective language use, and the development of a distinctive voice. District winners were selected after careful review of submissions representing each grade level.
The 2026 District Winners are:
Young Georgia Authors District Winners
| GRADE |
|
SCHOOL |
|
STUDENT |
|
TITLE OF ENTRY |
| Kindergarten |
|
South Salem Elementary |
|
Skai Browder |
|
"Snow Girl" |
| 1st Grade |
|
Mansfield Elementary |
|
Brooks Hawver |
|
"Me and Ladd McConkey" |
| 2nd Grade |
|
Oak Hill Elementary |
|
Thomas Allan |
|
"My Favorite Day with Sharks" |
| 3rd Grade |
|
Flint Hill Elementary |
|
Cora Jane Kelly |
|
"The Book on the Shelf" |
| 4th Grade |
|
Newton County STEAM Academy |
|
Asher Bruno |
|
"The Origins of Hereros" |
| 5th Grade |
|
Oak Hill Elementary |
|
Kylee Tate |
|
"The House" |
| 6th Grade |
|
Liberty Middle |
|
Iris Okwuosa |
|
"The Princess Who Lived Between the Stars" |
| 7th Grade |
|
Liberty Middle |
|
M'Kayla Solomon |
|
"Elric's Battle" |
| 8th Grade |
|
Veterans Memorial Middle |
|
Joy Pennie |
|
"Curve" |
| 9th Grade |
|
Newton High |
|
Londyn Weeks |
|
"The Flightless Black Bird" |
| 10th Grade |
|
Eastside High |
|
Madilyn Alyce Gray |
|
"The Price of Living" |
| 11th Grade |
|
Newton College & Career Academy |
|
Kyiana Andrews |
|
"Light, Dying" |
| 12th Grade |
|
Eastside High |
|
Delaney Rivers Curtis |
|
"The House Appraiser" |
Each district winner will now advance to the regional level of the Young Georgia Authors Competition, where their work will be considered alongside top entries from surrounding school districts.
“We are incredibly proud of our students for the originality, depth of thought, and creativity reflected in their writing,” said Dr. Ashante Everett, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. “The Young Georgia Authors Competition provides students with an authentic opportunity to share their voices and perspectives. Strong writing is foundational to academic success and future career readiness, and these students have demonstrated both skill and courage in putting their ideas on paper. We look forward to cheering them on as they advance to the regional competition.”