South Cobb area student wins Poet Laureate’s Prize 

The 2023 winner for the 10th annual Poet Laureate’s Prize was South Cobb area student Eniola Badejo, a senior at Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs. 

His poem “Right Here” was selected from among the more than 200 students who submitted poems for the 2022-23 school year.

Designed to encourage students in grades 9-12 to write original poems and engage in the art form of poetry, the award is given for an original poem written by a Georgia high school student.

Georgia’s Poet Laureate, Chelsea Rathburn, in collaboration with Georgia Council for the Arts, announced the winner and finalists of the 10th annual Poet Laureate’s Prize.

2023 WINNER POET LAUREATE’S PRIZE
Eniola Badejo – “Right Here”
Grade 12, Hillgrove High School
Powder Springs, Cobb County 

2023 FINALISTS POET LAUREATE’S PRIZE 
(listed in alphabetical order by last name)

Isabella Fonseca – “Prism”
Grade 12, Harrison High School
Kennesaw, Cobb County 

Andrea Lam – “Morning Anemoia”
Grade 12, West Forsyth High School
Cumming, Forsyth County 

Celina Simone – “The Habits of Strawberries”
Grade 10, Lambert High School
Suwanee, Forsyth County 

Jeonghyeon (Erica) Yun “Music Box Ballerina”
Grade 12, McIntosh High School
Peachtree City, Fayette County 

“Georgia’s Poet Laureate’s Prize has been encouraging participation in the arts for the last 10 years, and we are always amazed by the ingenuity, creativity, and talent of students across the state,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Executive Director Tina Lilly. “Art is about self-expression, and every student who participated in this year’s contest embraced the challenge of making a personal statement through poetry. We are thankful for the many teachers and schools who supported these students along the way.” 

You can read all the winning poems and finalist poems here: https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/georgia-poet-laureates-prize2023-meet-the-winner-and-finalists/