Grand Prize - Literary

Zoey Ocampo-Sobkoviak, Age 18
Starlings Watsonville

Opportunity
By Zoey Ocampo

What is an opportunity?
If not a chance
To transcend our expectations of ourselves

An opportunity is never timed perfectly
It comes when it pleases
And leaves just the same

Take hold of it, do not waste it
But remember to be patient

When one door closes
Another one opens

Any cliche you can think of
Or inspirational quote on a wall
Is grounded in truth

An opportunity is a chance
Never a guarantee
But if we hold our vision in our minds
And determination in our hearts
One chance may be all it takes
To realize our dreams

We should never limit ourselves for fear of failure
Because some small voice within ourselves
And select few voices outside ourselves
Tell us we do not belong
We are not good enough
We should not try

What are we if we do not take the chance
To transcend the expectations others have of us?

What are we if we do not take the chance
To prove to ourselves what we knew all along?

That we are strong
We are capable
We belong
We are
Enough

I have been given an opportunity
An opportunity to play a sport and be more than what others expect of me
I have been given an opportunity to find a community
Of young women whose drive and motivation
Push me to my highest potential

I have been given an opportunity to join a family
That forgives me when I fall
And brushes the dust off of my shoulders
I have found support
In this game
I have learned how to be there for my teammates
And lead in crucial moments

What an amazing gift

I do not mean to put volleyball on an untouchable pedestal
Because to love this sport is to question it
And to question the institutions around it
I cannot ignore the realities of so many young women who love this game
Who have been told they were
Not good enough
Who have been told they are
Weak
Who have been excluded
Degraded
Bullied
Abused

We must do better
We must be better
We must take the opportunity
To make this sport a place for young women to believe in themselves
And succeed

To do what they love
And be celebrated
To work hard
To try
To fail
To laugh
To cry
And most of all
To create their own opportunities

Each of us has an opportunity
To find our team
To play this game
To transcend the impossibilities of the everyday
To leave our doubts and insecurities behind
And for just a few moments
Feel
                  Free
Feel
                  Powerful
Feel
                  Enough

Grand Prize - ART

Ellyce Begay, Age 18
Starlings Shonto

2023 Winners by Age Group

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
Oluwatosin Sunday, 17, Starlings COLA (LIT)
Kaitlyn Caldwell, 16, Starlings Eastlake (LIT)
Minhtu Nguyen, 14, Starlings Eastlake (LIT)
Leela Ranganathan, 11, Starlings Rancho Bernardo (LIT)

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS
Marie Dominique Jose, 17, Starlings Salton Sea (ART)
Kaylee Nakagawa, 15, Starlings COLA (ART)
Madeline Meredith, 13, Starlings Eastlake (ART)
Gwynellian Kaneshiro, 11, Starlings Antelope Valley (LIT)

BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS
Joi Takeshima, 17, Starlings COLA (LIT)
Daisy Cornejo, 16, Starlings Watsonville (LIT)
Rori Divijak, 14, Starlings West (ART)
Caylao Baron, 11, Starlings Mission Trails (ART)

The three Ukrainian refugee athletes each submitted an essay about their experience coming from Ukraine to the United States, and what the opportunity means for them. You can read their essays by clicking the documents below...

2022 THEME
"TOGETHER WE SOAR"

Togetherness... Unity... Teamwork...

These concepts help us thrive on and off the volleyball court! See how Starlings across the country explored the theme of togetherness for the 2022 Starlings Art & Literary Contest.

ART GRAND PRIZE
Kaylee Nakagawa, 14, Starlings COLA

LITERARY GRAND PRIZE
Nyla Hales, 17, Starlings Fayetteville Dream

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
Destinee Harriott, 18, Starlings Dream (LIT)
Payton Balas, 16, Ridgecrest Starlings (LIT)
Harper Lillestol, 14, Starlings COLA (ART)
Ellie Divijak, 11, Starlings West (LIT)

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS
Kierstin Copenharve, 17, Starlings Omaha (LIT)
Ragen Bilagody, 16, Shonto Starlings (LIT)
Kaylah Mothudi, 14, Starlings COLA (ART)
Izah San Juan, 11, Watsonville Starlings (ART)

BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS
Jocelyn Cahwee, 17, Starlings Lawrence (ART)
Julianna Limas, 15, Starlings Lynwood (ART)
Kaelyn Hickey, Starlings Eastlake (ART)
Madison Divijak, 11, Starlings West (ART)