Essay and Short Story Contest

Each year, Bethesda Magazine partners with Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) to present an essay contest and a short story contest for local writers and storytellers. The submission period opens at the beginning of November and closes by mid-January each year.  Bethesda Magazine handles the short story contest, while BUP handles the essay contest. Entrants will have the chance for their essay or short story to be featured in Bethesda Magazine in our July/August issue. Bethesda Magazine will also publish first, second and third place winners and honorable mentions on its website.

Here are the winners of the 2025 Short Story & Essay Contest

Adult Short Story Category

• Asma Dilawari, Bethesda, first place
• Laura Kuhlmann, Rockville,  second place
• John Simpson, Germantown, third place
• Olivia Ikenberry, Silver Spring, honorable mention

High School Short Story Category

• Max Bakelar, Georgetown Preparatory School, first place
• Hana Sor, Montgomery Blair High School, second place
• Asha Akkinepally, Richard Montgomery High School, third place
• Lila Grosko, Montgomery Blair High School, honorable mention

Adult Essay Category

• Sarah Craven, Cabin John, first place
• Kathy Wei, Bethesda, second place
• Lisa Park, Fairfax, Virginia, third place
• Kyi May Kaung, Chevy Chase, honorable mention
• Celina Santana, Bethesda, honorable mention
• Lindsey Wray, Arlington, Virginia, honorable mention

High School Essay Category

• Logan Moran, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, first place
• Caroline Easley, Walt Whitman High School, second place
• Michaela Levy, Winston Churchill High School, third place
• Marin Brow, The Potomac School, honorable mention
• Eleham Salo, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, honorable mention
• Katja Treadwell, Walt Whitman High School, honorable mention