Elementary students win writers contest

Five Fox Chapel Area School District students were named winners in the 2025 WQED Writers Contest. Fairview Elementary School second-grader Theresa Zigler was named a first-place winner for her story “The Case of the Missing Guitar.” Kerr Elementary School first-grader Ameena Searight won first place for her story “Ameena’s Silly Future in Paris,” and Hartwood Elementary School kindergartner Laura Phillips won first place for her story “Doggy Dreams.” The second place winner was Kerr Elementary first-grader Hansheng Peng for his story “In My Future,” and the third place winner was Fairview Elementary first-grader Talon Jacob Boyer for his story “My Future.”

Nearly 290 entries were submitted and the Fox Chapel Area winners were five of 16 students who won awards in this year’s contest. The students competed against others in their own grade levels, and the contest was open to students in kindergarten to grade three from throughout the country. The winning students were honored at an award ceremony held at WQED studios in Pittsburgh on May 17.

All the winners’ stories are available to read and listen to through WQED’s Writers Contest page.