We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for Youth.
The judges chose the winning mystery stories from a large pool of entries received from around the U.S. and the world.
Mary Ann Hutchison, a long-time member of Arizona Mystery Writers, made many contributions to the club with her hard work. This short story contest originated with her and is dedicated to her each year. Our judges, including of panel of published writers, writing instructors, and educators chose the winning mystery stories from a large pool of entries received from around the U.S. and the world.
We received many outstanding short stories. The judges were impressed with the talent these young writers exhibited. We congratulate every contestant. Every contest entrant receives a certificate of participation and comments on their stories from the judges. The top three place winners and their bios and links to the stories are posted below, in the AMW newsletter and on our Facebook page. Honorable mentions are also posted by name.
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Place Winners 14 to 17 year olds
1st Place: Mikaela Rayo for While the Blood is Fresh
Mikaela Rayo is a teenager living in Bangkok, Thailand. Her first and current love is reading and can on most days be found hiding in her school library. Other times, she enjoys annoying her friends with her ranting, and hopes to continue writing and bringing her ideas to life in the future.
While the Blood is Fresh: CLICK HERE to read the story
2nd Place: Reese Williams for The Gardener
Reese Williams is a high school freshman and Arizona-based writer. Her second-place winning story, "The Gardener," reflects her interest in trying new writing genres and exploring different styles of storytelling. In addition to her creative pursuits, she is a dedicated student-athlete who currently competes at the varsity soccer level at her high school as well as ECNL club soccer, and previously spent years competitively riding horses in show jumping. A natural planner and organizer, Reese enjoys managing logistics for school projects and future travels. She is also an avid reader of young adult literature and a meticulous book annotator. A true coffee enthusiast, she can usually be found at a local coffee bar plotting her next creative project.
The Gardener: CLICK HERE to read the story
3rd Place: Kiersten Carder for Echoes in the Woods
Kiersten Carder is a high school student and young writer who hails from Maryland.
Echoes in the Woods: CLICK HERE to read the story
Honorable Mentions 14-17 Age Group—FINALISTS (in no particular order): | |
|---|---|
| Alex Bagwell | Moon's Breath: The Tale of Morluna |
| Advika A | The Bride of Maple Row |
| Jasintha Saravanan | The Lunch Box |
| Ishaan Reddy | The Incident at Benson's Creek |
Place Winners 9 to 13 year olds
1st Place: Asha Curley for Cemetery Secrets
Asha Curley is an A student at Basis Scottsdale. She is a curious and hardworking student. Asha was honored to serve as one of only eight students in the nation as a Time for Kids Magazine TFK Kid Reporter this past year. She has also won various local, national, and international awards for her original writing and poetry. She was most recently a finalist in the School Connect Champions of Education Awards. Asha hopes to continue to write and share more stories. Her favorite motto is “to never give up!”
Cemetery Secrets: CLICK HERE to read the story
2nd Place: Priya Curley for A Field Trip Gone Wrong
Priya Curley is an Honor Roll Student at Basis Scottsdale. She loves to write and her work has been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally. This past year, she published her first book, entitled “Wait, That’s Your Mom?” which is a poetry collection detailing the joys and struggles of being biracial and being a tween. She also published her first chapter with Imprints of Honor this year. She was named a Top 10 Poem winner in the nation this year with Creative Communications. Priya hopes to make the world a better place through her writing.
A Field Trip Gone Wrong: CLICK HERE to read the story
3rd Place: Grace Dufour-Guarino for Gone
Grace Dufour-Guarino is a student and young writer from Connecticut. Grace is a creative and adventurous 7th grader who loves experiencing all that life has to offer. She enjoys writing, art, reading, camping, basketball, and tennis, and is proudly working her way up the ranks in Scouting America. Known for being funny, athletic, intelligent, and always willing to help others, Grace brings energy and curiosity to everything she does.
Gone: CLICK HERE to read the story
Honorable Mentions 9- to 13-year-olds (in no particular order): | |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth Xue | Save Us From The Dark, Holly |
| Ashalina Arisha | Insane |
| Thulasi Umasankar | Greedy Things |
| Eleanor Kerr | Cold Case #23095 |
| Iris, Gkorogiannis Bouissou | Lily |
| Geethika Jampana | The House That Remembers |
| Isshana Arunkumar | The Magic Pencil |
