Dos Pueblos High Student Wins Sister City Poetry Prize

By Bonnie Carroll

1st place poetry winner of the Santa Barbara Sister Cities Board 2023 Artists and Authors Showcase Ryan Calkins was presented her award. with Dos Pueblos Principal Bill Woodard by Judge Melinda Palacio (newly installed 2023 Santa Barbara Poet Laureate), with Santa Barbara Sister Cities Board Vice Chair Lucile Vea, and Gil and Marti Garcia, Santa Barbara Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities Committee board members. Ryan was presented with a  prize check of $250.

The Santa Barbara Sister Cities Board Young Artists & Authors Showcase Theme for this year’s competition was ­­­­­­­­­ “Peace by Piece Food Security in my Community” and included students ages 13-18. The Children’s Creative Project (CCP) assisted with this year’s event. Winners are encouraged to enter their winning art and poetry in the upcoming Sister Cities International Competition.

Calkins, a star soccer player at Dos Pueblos, accepted her award on the lawn of Dos Pueblos High School and expressed her surprise and happiness to be honored with the 1st place poetry award. Both Principal Bill Woodard and poetry judge Melinda Palacio, newly installed 2023 Poet Laureate, congratulated her poem and on her prize.

Showcase winning poets 2023 included 1st place “Peace in the Garden” Ryan Calkins $250 prize, 2nd Place “I am an Oak Tree” by Brock Mitchell $150.00, and “Counting Pennies by Penelope Welsh $100 prize. Poet Laureate Melinda Palacio and SB/PV Board Member Alicia Sorkin were 2023 judges.

Melinda Palacio (SB 2023 Poet Laureate), Ryan Calkins (1st Place Poetry Recipient), Bill Woodard (Dos Pueblos High Principal), Lucile Vea (SB Sister Cities Board Vice Chair), Gil & Marti Garcia (SB Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities Board). [Photo: Bonnie Carroll]

The winning 2023 artists included 1st place, Leighton Willow Smith, $250 prize, 2nd place April Harper, $150, 3rd place Sebatian Cadwell, $100 prize. A collection of art submissions also came from young artists in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with prizes awarded. Michael Long, local Santa Barbara artist, art teacher and arts coordinator with Studio 121 in Santa Barbara judges the entries.

Sister Cities International aims to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time. This year’s theme encouraged youth and member communities to submit innovative, thoughtful creations to emphasize various aspects of food security including the impact of climate change on food production and food consumption in their own community.

For information Visit: https: sistercities.org/YAAS, Sister Cities International, @SisterCitiesInt. https://www.santabarbaraca.gov/gov/brdcomm/nz/sistercity/cities/default.asp.