Miriam is a senior Creative Writing major at School of the Arts. Outside of writing poetry, she enjoys journaling, crocheting, and going out to eat with her friends.
Thehara is a senior from Pittsford-Mendon High School. They are an editor for Scribere Literary Journal and an intern at BreakBread Literacy Project. Besides writing, Thehara loves cats, psychology, and Sherlock Holmes.
Frankie is a 9th grade creative writing major at School of the Arts. Outside of school Frankie enjoys playing softball, volleyball, and the drums in a band with her sisters.
Hailee is a creative writing major at SOTA. Aside from writing, she enjoys biking and photography. She also enjoys collecting teddy bears, lamps, rocks, and other knick-knacks.
Kayla attends Spencerport High School. In addition to writing, Kayla enjoys singing, musical theater, and drawing. At school, she is a part of Vocal Jazz and Treble Choir.
Currently a freshman at Pittsford Sutherland High School, Jasmine loves to write stories, enjoys reading fictional books, and listens to music. She plays piano outside of school, is part of the varsity tennis team, and loves trying out new snacks!
About the Sokol Awards
Since 1958, the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library has sponsored a creative writing contest for Monroe County high school students. Entries from public, private, charter schools and Home Schools are welcomed.
In 1985, Eli & Mildred Sokol established an endowment through the Community Foundation, which makes it possible for FFRPL to award monetary prizes to the winners, and honoraria to the judges. The Sokols’ foresight and generosity ensures that FFRPL will be able to maintain this legacy program for young writers in perpetuity.
$1,500 in cash prizes are awarded: $300 for first prize (Prose and Poetry); $200 for second prize (Prose and Poetry); $100 for third prize (Prose and Poetry); and one $300 prize for Performance. If a group wins the performance prize, the prize is equally divided by the number of people in the group.
View the 2024 Sokol Program.
View the 2023 Sokol Program.
View the 2022 Sokol Program.
Thanks to our partners at The College at Brockport, the complete collection of Sokol award winning entries from 2015 can be viewed and downloaded.
Cumulatively, winning entries have been viewed 2,387 times, from 63 countries!
