Righetti High School sophomore Samantha McDonald (pictured, right) won first place at the Santa Barbara County Education Office’s Poetry Slam Competition in early May for her poem, “Generational Burden.”
In a press release from the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, McDonald said she wrote her poem about “our planet and how we’re destroying it.”
“I wanted to spread awareness and get people thinking,” McDonald stated. “Would you treat your mother how you treat mother earth?”
Two Righetti High School students—junior Natalie Lancor (left) and sophomore Litzy Matematico Teran (center)—tied for second place in the countywide contest.
This article appears in May 18-28, 2023.