Mattie Stepanek Poetry Contest 2025 | MY HERO

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Fannie Lou Hamer by Robert Shetterly

From the Americans Who Tell the Truth portrait series

was known as the queen of the Leica

ABOUT THE DIGITAL ART GALLERY

Our gallery features art in the theme of heroism. All artworks in our commercial free, age-appropriate Gallery are contributed by professional and student artists as well as curated from art institutions around the world.

MY HERO Project seeks unique works of art by professional and student artists that celebrate the lives and courageous acts of heroes who work to promote change by positively affecting others and their communities. Completed artwork should reflect thoughtful ideas to show how the selected hero demonstrates heroic action and creates positive social change.

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Mattie Poetry Contest

Credit: Jeni Stepanek

Adult

Wasyl Palijczuk

By: Michael Puskar

High School

First Place

For Nature's Unsung Heroes

By: Vila Song

My Home on 9th Street

By: Zhiheng Xie

2nd Place

By: Shannon Li

By: Peter Liu

High School in Different Formats

1st Place

Dr. Nicholas Paul, CSIRO, and his Seaweed Research Group

By: Jaden Chen

The Case of the Stinky Gas (Audio Poem)

By: Jaden Chen

The Case of the Stinky Gas

By: Jaden Chen

Film

2nd Place

Forgetting to Be Grandpa

By: Alexander Lyon

Forgetting to Be Grandpa

By: Alexander Lyon

3rd Place

Cowabunga!

By: Rachel Chen

Cowabunga!

By: Rachel Chen

Middle School

1st Place

Those of us who have the courage to face the blank page

By: Jubilee Sung

2nd Place

By: Angelina Irkutska

Behind the Apotheosis

By: Reika Fukushima

3rd Place

For those who weep for the Earth and care to save her

By: Natalie Chien

For the scientists who have captured the songs of icebergs, this poem is for you

By: Natalie Chien

Special Recognition

Untamed Rhymes: Poems to Celebrate Sea Creatures

By: Evan Chan

Untamed Rhymes

By: Evan Chan

Untamed Rhymes: Poems to Celebrate Sea Creatures

By: Ivan Zhang

Middle School in Different Formats

1st Place

Nai Nai

By: Emilee Sung

Nai Nai

By: Emilee Sung

2nd Place

The Giants

By: Oliver Dai

The Giants

By: Oliver Dai

3rd Place

An Everyday Hero

By: Carter Chen

An Everyday Hero

By: Carter Chen

Before Rosa, Claudette Sat

Before Rosa, Claudette Sat

By: Alivia Hsu

Middle School Film

1st Place

A Puzzles Kind of Girl

By: Emily Song

2nd Place

My Heroic Quest

By: Victoria Hsu

3rd Place

The Glass Butterfly

By: Natalie Chien

Elementary

Patrick the Penguin and Other Poems

By: Lucas Chien

Poem in a Different Format

What I Learned

By: Jordan Sung

What I Learned

By: Jordan Sung

What I Learned

By: By Jordan Sung, directed by Jubilee Sung

Read the Press Release here:

Young Voices Shine in the 2025 Mattie Stepanek Poetry Contest

By: Abigail Richardson

See all the Finalists here:

The Mattie Stepanek Poetry Contest 2025

By: Abigail Richardson

Previous Winners

Mattie Stepanek Poetry Contest 2024

By: Abigail Richardson

Mattie Stepanek Poetry Contest 2024

Mattie J.T. Stepanek Poetry Contest Winners Spring 2021

By: Shannon Luders-Manuel

Congratulations to the winners ofthe Spring 2021 Mattie J.T. Stepanek Poetry Contest!

Mattie J.T. Stepanek Poetry Contest Winners

By: Shannon Luders-Manuel

The MY HERO Project hosts the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Poetry Contest in honor of poet and peace activist Mattie Stepanek. Before Mattie passed away, just before his 14th birthday, he had become a New York Times Bestselling author and a celebrated guest on Oprah, Good Morning America, and the Muscular Dystrophy Associations (MDA) Telethon. His mother, Jeni Stepanek, continues his legacy with the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation and is our judge for the poetry contest.

Organizer created on 8/4/2025 12:05:05 PM by Abigail Richardson

Last edited 2/17/2026 8:09:32 AM by Abigail Richardson

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