Thirteen students from the Vidalia City School System have been named grade-level winners in the Young Georgia Authors local writing competition. “We are so excited and proud of our students who chose to participate in the competition,” said Vidalia City Schools Federal Program’s Director Tammy McFadden, who oversees the Young Georgia Authors program for the school district.

The purpose of the Young Georgia Authors (YGA) writing competition is to encourage students to develop enthusiasm for and expertise in their writing, to provide a context to celebrate their writing successes, and to recognize student achievement in arts and academics. This prestigious competition has been engaging Georgia students for more than two decades and is open to any student currently enrolled in Georgia public schools, grades K -12. The competition is sponsored by the Georgia Language Arts Supervisors (GLAS) and the Georgia RESA Network with support from the Georgia Department of Education.

“We have a great group of authors who we believe will excel not only in the RESA District competition but also at the state level,” said McFadden.

Winners from the Vidalia City School District and their winning works  are Kahen Parrish, Kindergarten, “My Cousin (Kusin)”; Ryan Sasser, 1^st grade, “Princess and Throne”; Ta’Janae Jackson, 2^nd grade, “Ella’s Magical World:’ Amelia Lewis, 3^rd grade, “Camping”;  Janie Beck, 4^th grade, “They Mysterious Cave”; Shavayae Mitchell, 5h grade, “Missing Junior”; Charlise Haynes, 6^th grade, “Transitions”; Stella Siegmund, 7^th grade, “Arabic Elevator”; Georgia Lynn Jackson, 8^th grade, “Let Go”; Zaviyana Walton, 9^th grade, “Whom Shall I Call Home”; Kingston Ryals, 10^th grade, “Facades and Fates”; Aidyn Driggers, 11^th grade, “Are Humans Really Different, At All?”; and Dorothy McDaniel, 12^th grade, “Song in Amaurosis”.