27 County Writers, Poets To Be Featured At Virtual Events

BETHESDA, MD — More than two dozen adults and high schoolers from the D.C. metro area will be honored this month at Bethesda Urban Partnership's Local Writer's Showcase.

The virtual showcase will consist of two award ceremonies and readings, and honor winners of the annual Bethesda Essay & Short Story Contest and Bethesda Poetry Contest. Both ceremonies will be open to the public.

In total, 33 people from the D.C. metro area will be recognized for their work. Of those, 27 are from Montgomery County.

The Bethesda Essay & Short Story Contest Awards Ceremony will be held on Friday, March 18 at 7 p.m. Register here to join the webinar.

The Poetry Contest Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 25 at 7 p.m. To join the webinar, register here.

More than 800 pieces were submitted to this year's Essay & Short Story and Essay contests as writers competed for a chance to win up to $500 and have their work published in Bethesda Magazine's July/August issue.

A total of $4,450 in prize money will be awarded to the 33 winners from Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

Essay Winners

• Sarah Wang, Potomac, MD, 1st Place
• Cynthia Mamalian, Potomac, MD, 2nd Place
• Tina Xia, Bethesda, MD, 3rd Place
• Sarah Birnbach, Rockville, MD, Honorable Mention
• Rebekah Richards, Washington, D.C., Honorable Mention

High School Essay Winners

• Leo Kalb Bourke, Walter Johnson High School, 1st Place
• Grace McGuire, Walt Whitman High School, 2nd Place
• Armaan Salchak, Wootton High School, 3rd Place
• Jaylen Panjehshahi, Quince Orchard High School, Honorable Mention
• Hannah Stearns, Wootton High School, Honorable Mention
• Alexander Toti, Montgomery Blair High School, Honorable Mention

Short Story Winners

• Kathleen Wheaton, Bethesda, MD, 1st Place
• Matthew Kelly, Rockville, MD, 2nd Place
• A. Jo Proctor, Chevy Chase, MD, 3rd Place
• Cliff Gale, Brookeville, MD, Honorable Mention
• Nancy Hanlon, Silver Spring, MD, Honorable Mention
• Briana Maley, Takoma Park, MD, Honorable Mention

High School Short Story Winners

• Jillian Vordick, Walter Johnson High School, 1st Place
• Rashmi Kanipakala, Wootton High School, 2nd Place
• Esme Pickel, Richard Montgomery High School, 3rd Place
• Samantha Mouyard, Walter Johnson High School, Honorable Mention
• Avana Wang, Wootton High School, Honorable Mention

Poetry Winners

• Kathryn Bratt-Pfotenhauer, Montgomery Village, MD, 1st Place
• Taylor Gaskins, Washington, D.C., 2nd Place
• Eric Forsbergh, Leesburg,VA, 3rd Place
• Terri Merz, Washington, D.C., Honorable Mention
• Sean O'Neill, Washington, D.C., Honorable Mention
• Anthony Phan, Derwood, MD, Honorable Mention

High School Poetry Winners

• Tara Davoodi, Walt Whitman High School
• Nicole Fang, Richard Montgomery High School
• Leila Jackson, Georgetown Day School
• Sabrina Mei, Richard Montgomery High School
• Elisabeth Schmeissner, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School