April 3-7, 2024

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Middle School Writing Contest Presented by The Community Foundation of NC East

The North Carolina Azalea Festival introduced a new contest in 2017, the High School Writing Contest, in an effort to reach out to more youth in the greater Wilmington area.  In 2022 the Festival decided to move the 2023 contest to the Middle School level in hopes to engage younger minds in participation and see what creative works come to life in this age group! 

Middle School students are invited to submit either a descriptive essay or poem.  Over 100 thoughtful, interesting, and creative entries are received annually and judged by a local team of writers. Winners and finalists are selected from each category and receive various prizes from the Azalea Festival and outside the community.

Love Where You Live…in the Springtime!
Writing submissions are due January 31, 2024 for the Middle School Writing Contest. Students in middle schools across the state of North Carolina are invited to enter.

Thank You to Our Presenting Sponsor

Thank You to Our Sponsor

2024 Winners

Essay Category

1st Place - Ira Satyajit, 6th Grade
Wilmington Academy of Arts and Sciences

Ira Satyajit is the 1st place winner in the Essay category of the Middle School Writing Contest with her essay titled “Wilmington’s Garden of Calm.” She is a well-rounded 6 th grader at Wilmington Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her favorite classes in school are her Exploration classes in art, music, and musical theater. She is currently preparing for her school’s production of The Lion King where she is an ensemble dancer. Ira also participates in Science Olympiad competitions, having recently won several individual and team awards in the areas of epidemiology, crime busters, and experimental design. When not in school or at school functions, Ira is quite busy. She swims on the YWCA team (butterfly is her stroke), sings in the Wilmington Girls Choir, paints, reads fantasy and crime books and enjoys going to the beach, taking walks, and playing with her German Shepherd, Nox, named after the Roman goddess of the night. Fun Facts about Ira…she relocated to Wilmington two years ago from St. Paul, MN and shares a name with the Irawati River that flows thru her family’s native India.

Wilmington’s Garden of Calm 

“The earth laughs in flowers,” says Ralph Waldo Emerson, and so I think that Wilmington in spring with blooming flowers is like a happy kindergarten. Every spring, my family and I visit the New Hanover County Arboretum and spend time at my favorite spots– the koi pond and the Japanese garden.
First, I visit the koi Pond with its glowing green water. It is framed by a stone path and sweet-smelling cherry blossoms. When I approach the pool, the koi start swarming. Their tangerine, coal, and snow scales flash as they struggle to get close to me, mouths gaping wide, hoping for a snack. After feeding the koi, I wander over to the red bridge and admire the statues, the floating dragon spouting water, and the posh frog rafting in a tuxedo. As I continue my journey, I pass the ruby bench waiting patiently for a tired traveler and the luxuriously carved white stone gazebo adding a touch of beauty. 
From the gazebo, I can see my next destination– the serene Japanese garden with the simple tea house surrounded by a trickling spring. The garden reminds me of the walks my mom and I took planning our own Japanese Garden. Passing a scarlet gate, I enter a magical world. Following a stone path, I arrive at a miniature bridge. The teahouse is all in the same shade of ivory. I sit on the windowsill, listening to the clear tinkle of the brook. After a few moments of peace, I cross over to the other window and peer over the small pond framed by pebbles and lush little plants. I stare out at the jade water and hear the steady rainfall rush of the water. The breeze flutters over me. Soon, I step out of the hut and walk over to the second bridge. The thread of water flows over the rocks. I reach the path and get ready to continue my voyage.                                                                                                             
Spring is a wonderful time of the year, and my trip to the Arboretum is just another gift spring gives me. I love watching the koi pray for a treat in glassy water and feeling the cool wind lift my hair as I stare out at a glistening pond by the teahouse. It wouldn’t be spring in Wilmington without this garden.

Poetry Category

1st Place - Sebastian Flores, 7th Grade
Noble Middle School

Sebastian Flores, a 7 th grader from Noble Middle School, took 1 st place in the Poetry category of the Middle School Writing Contest with his poem titled “Wilmington’s Embrace.” Sebastian’s family moved here from New York just over a year ago, and yet, he was able to capture Wilmington in all her splendor in his poem. He attributes this to his many visits to the Port City to his grandmother’s house over the years. Sebastian enjoys flower gardening with his grandmother and her Cape Fear Garden Club friends as well growing vegetables in his own family garden. He swims every day with Waves of Wilmington, perfecting his freestyle stroke in the shorter distances. Sebastian’s favorite subject in school is science (applied science and classic science like physics), and not surprisingly, is also a strong math student, having recently competed in a state-wide Math Counts competition. Fun fact about Sebastian: he was named the middle school literary state winner in NCPTA’s Reflection contest.

Wilmington’s Embrace 

In Wilmington’s embrace, where waters gently sway,

Spring unfurls its tapestry in a great display.

A symphony of azaleas, a chorus of the breeze,

Life emerges again, dancing through the trees.

 

As dogwoods bloom in shades of white and pink,

Nature’s canvas awakens with a vibrant wink.

Along the Cape Fear River, a verdant tide,

Life in full bloom, nowhere to hide.

 

From Airlie Gardens to historic streets,

Azaleas paint the town in hues so sweet.

Blossoms burst forth with the sun’s warm kiss,

Wilmington whispers, “Springtime bliss.”

 

In fragrant gardens, where blooms entwine,

The city blossoms like a love so fine.

Beneath a Carolina blue, a canvas bright,

Life stirs in Wilmington, a pure delight.

 

The riverfront alive with laughter and cheer,

As azaleas whisper secrets, only spring can hear.

Pelicans soar above the azure expanse,

A dance of life in this southern springtime romance.

 

Beneath the live oaks with branches wide,

New life emerges with a quiet pride.

In every bloom and every tender shoot,

Wilmington’s heart, in spring, takes root.

 

The warmth of sunshine, the scent of the air,

A celebration of life, beyond compare.

In Wilmington’s embrace, where springtime sings,

A symphony of life, on vibrant wings.

 

Oh, Wilmington.