Seven San Diego Unified students have been honored as part of the annual Border Voices poetry contest. Two students, John Muir School senior Sashieana Scott, and Spreckels Elementary fourth grader Nathaniel Pick, took first place in their categories.

Students from grades 3 through 12 participated in the competition, which is now in its 15th year.

Honored San Diego Unified students are:

• Sashieana Scott, Grade 12, John Muir School. Poet-teacher: Jackleen Holton. Teacher: Jason D. Hundley. First Place, Upper Division.
• Yearly Gonzalez, Grade 7, Farb Middle School. Poet-teacher: Johnnierenee Nelson. Teacher: Leslie Clark. Third Place, Upper Division, with a Special Award from the Greater San Diego Council of Teachers of English.
• Nathaniel Pick, Grade 4, Spreckels Elementary. Poet-Teacher: Celia Sigmon. Teacher: Peggy Araiza. First Place, Lower Division.
• Margaret Poltorak, Grade 3, Hearst Elementary. Poet-teacher: Celia Sigmon. Teacher: Jean Feinstein. Third Place, Lower Division.
• Jason "J. J." Eisengart, Grade 3, Spreckels Elementary. Poet-Teacher: Seretta Martin. Teacher: Michael French. Special Award from the Greater San Diego Council of Teachers of English.
• Helen Tang, Grade 3, Spreckels Elementary. Poet-teacher: Celia Sigmon. Teacher: Deron Bear. Runner-up.
• Joey Schindler, Grade 5, Hearst Elementary. Poet-Teacher: Celia Sigmon. Teacher: Chris Vasquez. Runner-up.

The poems photos of the students are online at http://www.bordervoices.com/bordervoices/Student Poems.html. Students will be featured on an upcoming ITV broadcast and their poems will be published in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Their work will be featured at the annual Border Voices Poetry Fair on April 19.

The Border Voices Project contests help academic achievement, according to the program's founder, Jack Webb. A study of Pershing Middle School test scores is used to illustrate how poetry helps improve student skills; view the study at the program's web site, http://www.bordervoices.com/bordervoices/Pershing Success.html