2025 Scholarship Winners
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Poetry
NWS Robert and Marcy Branski Poetry Scholarship
1st Place
Anti-Ode to Starbucks Drive-Thrus
Lola Russell
Greenspire
Senior
Lola Russell is a senior at the Greenspire High School and Career Tech Writers Studio. She is passionate about storytelling, and plans to attend college next year to study film.
2nd Place
Palimpsest
Elijah Flechter
Traverse City West Senior High
Senior
Elijah Flechter is a senior at Grand Traverse Traverse City West Senior High.
Journalism
Judith Lang Journalism Scholarship
First Place Winner
Fostering New Female Spaces on the Net
Tess Tarchak-Hiss
Traverse City West Senior High
11th Grade
Tess Tarchak-Hiss is currently a junior at Traverse City West Senior High. She explores the world around her by watching a copious amount of Great British Baking Show and playing roller derby as her alter ego Gretchin' McFreakon.
2nd Place
Kathy Kozachenko: Local Legend and Unspoken Queer Hero
Keira Wesley
Traverse City Central High School
12th Grade
Keira Wesley is a senior at Traverse City Central High School, and will be attending Michigan State University in the fall to major in Linguistics. Growing up, she fell in love with writing; it gave me her voice that she, as a very introverted person, didn't have before. Through writing, she became passionate about research, politics, and literary analysis. She can't wait to continue writing in college and beyond!
Nonfiction
Leslie Lee Nonfiction Scholarship
1st Place
Dying Flowers
Katelyn Popp
West Senior High
11th Grade
Katelyn Popp is a Junior at West Senior High and has lived in Traverse City for the majority of her life. School is her number one priority, but in her free time she enjoys writing, reading, playing tennis, and spending time with her friends and family. Although her plans for continuing education are in the mathematics field, she will continue to enjoy literature in her free time.
2nd Place
Behind Closed Doors
Elyana Marschner
West Senior High School
12th Grade
Elyana Marschner is currently a senior at West Senior High School and plans to attend Ferris State University in the fall majoring in dental hygiene. This is her fourth year as part of the varsity track team.
Fiction
William Montgomery Fiction Scholarship
1st Place
Drowning in the Deep
Annie Stempin
Traverse City West Senior High
12th Grade
Annie Stempin is a senior at Traverse City West Senior High. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends. She looks forward to continuing her education at Michigan State University this fall.
2nd Place
Rabbit Trap
Sam Milks
Traverse City West Senior High School
12th Grade
Sam Milks is a 12th grade student attending Traverse City West Senior High School and NorthwestEd Career Tech Center in the Writer's Studio program. He is an artist with his hands in an array of hobbies ranging from graphic arts to crochet. He also plans to join the Cybersecurity field after graduation.
