Three Branford High juniors were named winners of a poetry contest for Branford High School students, celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.

Sponsored by the Corcoran-Sundquist American Legion of Branford, the Branford Historic Center Cemetery and the Office of Poet Laureate of Branford, the contest was meant to inspire the students of Branford High School to both think and write deeply about the aspirations at our country’s founding and how we have or have not realized those aspirations, according to the organizers.

Nate Frohlich ’27 won the first place prize of $500 for his poem “To What Extent.” (Editor’s note: Nate is also a photographer for The Buzz.)

The other two winners were Shaurya Shah ’27 who won the second place prize of $250 for his poem “Foundations on the Shore.”

The third place prize of $150 was awarded to Saloni Shrestha ’27 for her poem “The Land of the Free.”

Receiving honorable mention was Cooper Ranton ’27 for “The Salt-Air Forge,” and Lilly Panuccio ’27 for “America’s 250th.”

All of the poems can be found here.

“The winning  poems are beautifully written expressions of our hopes and our failures, both as citizens and as a nation, and of our common desire to do better,” said Judith Liebmann, who is the town’s poet laureate. Liebmann oversaw the contest and judging of the contest.

In recognition of their achievement, a ceremony will be held on June 28 at 11 a.m. in the Meditation Garden of the historic Branford Center Cemetery when the students will recite their poems.

The public is invited to attend.