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Two Students Earn Poetry Nods

Kennedy freshman Madeline Hyman and Mepham High School sophomore Vladimir Mkrtchian thumbnail245902
Kennedy freshman Madeline Hyman thumbnail245903
Mepham High School sophomore Vladimir Mkrtchian thumbnail245904

Two students in the Central High School District have been recognized for their poetry pieces.  

Kennedy freshman Madeline Hyman placed twice in Long Island’s Language Arts Council’s annual Poetry Contest. She won third place for her poem, “A Trek of 1,000 Miles” and second honorable mention for her poem, “A Seed of Tomorrow.” She read her poetry aloud on April 29 at the Freeport Memorial Library.  

Before attending Kennedy, Hyman was an active member of Merrick Avenue Middle School's literary magazine where she practiced all different types of writing. Her English teacher is Jessica Metkiff noted that “this dedication paid off as she earned second place in the PTA Reflections contest during her seventh grade.” 

“During her time at JFK, Madeline has been a standout student, working tirelessly to enhance her writing skills,” she added. “That coupled with her willingness to take risks in her writing has created much success for her this year. As a writer for the school's newspaper, Madeline Hyman has and surely will continue to impress.” 

Mepham High School sophomore Vladimir Mkrtchian won honorable mention in the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Student Poetry Contest for his poem “Jazve.”  

He was invited to read his poem at an awards ceremony to be held at the site in Melville on Sunday, May 21.  

His teacher is Edward Grosskreuz called Mkrtchian “a naturally gifted writer” whose submission required few revisions. 

“He has a command of vocabulary, imagery and syntax beyond his years,” Grosskreuz added. “What was most memorable about this process was getting to learn more about Armenian culture. Vladimir's poem does exactly what literature is intended to do: open a window into a personal space, sharing an aspect of the writer's life to enrich our own.” 

Date Added: 5/4/2023

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