Two Carrollton High School students were recognized for their work this week when the Carrollton Creative Writers Guild and Carrollton Arts Commission announced the winners of its 2026 High School Creative Writing Awards. This annual competition features poetry and short stories by students in grades 9-12.
CHS junior Juliet Browning won second place in the short story category for her work, “The Night the Sun Appeared.” With her clever writing of dialogue, Juliet brought her characters’ banter to life while vividly painting the scene with her prose. Likewise, fellow junior Samantha Berg placed third for her thriller short story titled “Outsourced,” which is set in the future with a high schooler reflecting on the progression and impacts of AI while experiencing the imminent dangers it brings.
Adding to the excitement of the event, the students did not know their placement until they arrived at the luncheon and awards presentation on March 3. Once the awards were presented to the students in front of their teachers, family members, and administrators, the Carrollton Writers Guild provided workshops for the students to collaborate with guild members and discuss their writing processes.
The competition, workshop, and event were sponsored by the Fulford Family Foundation, Jill Pierce State Farm, Vabella Publishing, Carrollton Civic Woman’s Club, and the Carrollton Writers Guild. The program was led by Carrollton Arts Commission President Dr. Howard Seeman and Carrollton Writers Guild President Dr. Elyse Wheeler, with Dr. Robert Covel announcing the recognitions for the prose presentation.
