Lake Oconee Academy recently announced that nine of its students were recognized with top honors for the 2026 Young Georgia Authors (YGA) Writing Competition.
The competition is sponsored by both the Georgia Language Arts Supervisors and the Georgia RESA Network, which is supported by the Georgia Department of Education.
The annual event was created to encourage K-12 students to “develop enthusiasm and expertise” within writing, while acknowledging success in academics and the arts.
According to a recent press release, students throughout Greene County submitted a variety of original written works — including poetry, short stories, literary analysis, and personal narratives — for the district-level competition. Lake Oconee Academy had nine students named as first-place district winners who advanced to the regional RESA competition.
The Lake Oconee Academy first-place winners for the 2026 Young Georgia Authors (YGA) Writing Competition included:
LOA Lower School (Grades K-5) First-grader Jemma Easley – “Candy House,” and Fourth-grader Isabella Broughton – “Crows Can Be Thieves Too.”
LOA Middle School (Grades 6-8) Sixth-grader James Poucher – “A Skilling Fiasco,” Seventh-grader Hallie Wilcher – “Where I’m From,” and eighth-grader Sima Bahr – “I Feel.”
LOA High School (Grades 9-12) Freshman Noah Angle –“House of Sin,” sophomore Ethan Ralston – “The Trial of the King,” Junior Alley McCullough – “Alethea’s Crypt,” and senior Emilia Viscarra –“A Bad Taste in My Mouth.”
According to the release, the competition’s participants are allowed to submit pieces with “full creative freedom” within a 1,900-word limit. Submissions are judged on the YGA judging criteria, as well as the author’s voice and perspective. LOA Upper School Instructional Coordinator Caroline St. John shared a statement on the students’ recent accomplishments with the YGA competition.
“These results reflect the quality of our writers across our entire campus from kindergarten to 12th grade,” she said. “Our students’ ability to express themselves and communicate clearly through their writing is a strong indicator of future success.”
Students advancing past regional competition will advance to the state level, and winners of the final round will be announced later this spring.