The artwork entry by Brigita Sniokaityte, a sixth-grader at Switzerland Point Middle School, and the poetry entry by Taryn Lee, an eighth-grader at Fruit Cove Middle School, were selected as winners in the Day Without Violence 2025 Art and Poetry Calendar Contest.
Runners-up included Oliva Rieder, a seventh-grader at RJ Murray Middle School, in art, and Christopher Aspromonti, an eighth-grader at Fruit Cove Middle School, in poetry.
“We thank all of the St. Johns County students who participated in the contest and the St. Johns County School Board for their continued support of the project,” said Kelly Franklin, CEO of the Betty Griffin Center. “Your involvement in this calendar project helps raise awareness of our prevention work throughout the county.”
St. Johns County School District art specialist Joanne Crowder, local artist Riette Gouws and author Kristin Paul, who serves as strategy and operations administrator for the St. Joseph Neighborhood Center, judged all art and poetry submissions.
Those receiving honorable mention include:
Art
- Yiwen Chen, Valley Ridge Academy, 8th grade
- Gabriella Moura, Freedom Crossing Academy, 7th grade
- Margaret Staffey, Freedom Crossing Academy, 7th grade
- Avahlea Rapp, Freedom Crossing Academy, 8th grade
- Kylie Coarsey, Beachside High School, 9th grade
- Juliette Phillips, Valley Ridge Academy, 3rd grade
- Dhruthisri Muthyala, Fruit Cove Middle School, Grade 8
- Kayleigh Battista, Fruit Cove Middle School, 8th grade
- Meridith Butterfield, Beachside High School, 11th grade
- Mattie Boggs, Pine Island Academy, 8th grade
- Ayla Faris, Freedom Crossing Academy, 8th grade
poetry
- Lizhayla Hall, Pedro Menendez High School, 9th grade
- Mudil Nair, Fruit Cove Middle School, 6th grade
- Delaney Beringer, Tocoi Creek High School, 11th grade
- Brianna Rozema, Tocoi Creek High School, Grade 10
- Hannah Brown, Tocoi Creek High School, 9th grade
- Daria Hrachova, Fruit Cove Middle School, 8th grade
- Ricky Circelli, Ponte Vedra High School, 12th grade
- Daniel Rasner, Fruit Cove Middle School, 6th grade
- Emma Soto, Hickory Creek Elementary School, 4th grade
- Talia Samoeun, Tocoi Creek High School, 11th grade
Contest winners will receive a special honor during a St. Johns County School Board meeting and their artwork will be displayed at the Crisp Ellert Art Museum throughout October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Additionally, 3,000 calendars will be distributed to classrooms throughout St. Johns County this fall.
The contest was open to all St. Johns County students in kindergarten through 12th grade, regardless of whether they attended public school, private school, or homeschooled. The number of entries varies each year depending on the number of students participating. First place winners receive $50, second place winners receive $25, and all students who receive an honorable mention receive $10 each.
