This week, Georgia’s Poet Laureate, Chelsea Rathburn, in partnership with Georgia Council for the Arts, announced the winner and finalists of the 12th annual Poet Laureate’s Prize. The prize is awarded for an original poem written by a Georgia high school student.

The program encourages students in grades nine through 12 to write original poems and engage in the art form of poetry, in turn building creative communications skills and self-confidence. More than 260 students submitted poems for the 2024-2025 school year, with 105 high schools participating from all corners of the state.

The students’ grade levels noted below reflect the 2024-2025 school year.

2025 WINNER POET LAUREATE’S PRIZE

Jada Michelle Ellis – “Fatherless Echoes”

Grade 11, Woodland High School

Stockbridge, Henry County

2025 FINALISTS POET LAUREATE’S PRIZE 

(listed in alphabetical order by last name)

Jaiden Geolingo – “Dino Before Impact”

Grade 10, Howard High School

Macon, Bibb County 

Max Lee – “Savannah, Georgia (+Other Bolted Places)”

Grade 12, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology

Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County

Rachel Li – “love poem in haiku form”

Grade 11, North Oconee High School

Watkinsville, Oconee County

Liora Yustein – “Firelight Lullaby”

Grade 11, Decatur High School

Decatur, DeKalb County 

“Each spring, I have the difficult pleasure of reading entries submitted from students across the state – difficult only because it’s hard to choose a winner and finalists,” said Georgia Poet Laureate Chelsea Rathburn. “Discovering so many powerful and surprising poems, ranging in subject from history and family to the extinction of the dinosaurs, I’m certain that the future of poetry in Georgia is bright.”

 Through a partnership with Atlanta Magazine, all winning and finalist poems are featured on its website. To read the poems, click here. All of the 2025 finalists were invited to participate in a private poetry reading at the State Capitol and to receive a commemorative photo with Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp in honor of their achievement. 

“Fostering healthy, creative self-expression and engaging young people in the arts as a fundamental part of a well-rounded education is a key focus of our mission at Georgia Council for the Arts, and the Georgia Poet Laureate’s Prize has been a meaningful and exciting part of that work for over a decade,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Executive Director Tina Lilly. “We are consistently impressed by the imagination and talent shown by students across Georgia, and we’re thankful to the educators who supported and motivated them through this year’s contest.” 

All Georgia high school students are encouraged to participate in this annual competition. Details about the 2026 competition will be available on the Georgia Council for the Arts website in fall 2025. The annual submission deadline is at the beginning of spring. Click here to learn more about the program.