Photos from the event to be posted soon.
This year’s annual William Saroyan Writing Contest invited students from 1st through 12th grade across the Central Valley to explore the theme of Creative Rebellion through personal reflection, storytelling, and imagination.
Students responded to prompts inspired by William Saroyan’s powerful quote:
“The writer who is a writer is a rebel who never stops.”
—William Saroyan, The William Saroyan Reader (1958)
This year’s entries were especially heartfelt and deeply personal. Many young writers shared stories about family members — and even themselves — reflecting on moments of perseverance, courage, and determination. Through their essays, students wrote honestly about overcoming challenges, refusing to give up, and continuing forward even when life became difficult. Their words demonstrated the spirit of “creative rebellion” not as defiance for its own sake, but as the courage to stay true to oneself and keep going.
The Saroyan 2026 Writing Contest Awards Ceremony was held on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Fresno Pacific University’s Warkentin Performing Arts Center. Students, families, teachers, and community members gathered to celebrate the creativity and resilience of this year’s young writers and to honor William Saroyan’s enduring legacy of imagination, persistence, and individuality.
Thank you to all who participated, and congratulations to this year’s winners!
1st & 2nd Grade Winners
1st Place – Christopher Olivares, 2nd grade | Woods Elementary (Teacher: Leticia Floyd)
2nd Place – Peyton Griffith- Hesser, 1st grade | Gettysburg Elementary (Teacher: Kari Paul)
3rd Place – James Tu, 2nd grade | Riverview Elementary (Teacher: Stan Holt)
3rd & 4th Grade Winners
1st Place – Nathalie Villa Guillen, 4th grade | Pershing Elementary (Teacher: Michelle Dart)
2nd Place – Elliott Beshore, 4th grade | Woods Elementary, Madera (Teacher: Ellen Kalashian)
3rd Place – Kaylene Sanchez, 4th grade | Pershing Elementary, Madera (Teacher: Michelle Dart)
5th & 6th Grade Winners
1st Place – Sydney Geil, 6th grade | Woods Elementary (Teacher: Sara Harper)
2nd Place – Ellie Glosier, 6th grade | Woods Elementary (Teacher: Cassandra Germond)
3rd Place – Emma Duong, 6th grade | Century Elementary (Teacher: Caitlin Tafoya)
7th & 8th Grade Winners
1st Place – Liam Rainbolt, 7th grade | Kastner Intermediate (Teacher: Ken Canales)
2nd Place – Dania Crisostomo, 7th grade | Edison Computech Middle School (Teacher: Jonathan McNealy)
3rd Place – Angelica Cruz, 7th grade | Reyburn Intermediate (Teacher: David Mejia)
9th-12th Grade Winners
1st Place – Layla Zamzami, 10th grade | Kingsburg High School (Teacher: Jacob Simmons)
2nd Place – Byanna Cortes Lopez, 10th grade | Selma High School (Teacher: Jennifer Manter)
3rd Place – Ashlin Coronado Perez, 10th grade | Selma High School (Teacher: Jennifer Manter)