FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2026

San Gabriel Valley Phoenix Poets Award Inaugural Scholarships to Students Impacted by the Eaton Fire

ALTADENA, Calif. — San Gabriel Valley Phoenix Poets (SGV Phoenix Poets) has awarded three scholarships to students from Eaton Fire-impacted communities in recognition of outstanding original poetry reflecting impeccable craft, innovative insight, and creative expression.

The inaugural SGV Phoenix Poets scholarship recipients for the 2025-2026 academic year are Zia Saylor of the University of Bristol ($1,000 scholarship), Ahmari Riley of Tuskegee University ($700 scholarship), and Maya DeSousa of New York University ($300 scholarship). Recipients were selected by Shahé Mankerian, Altadena Co-Poet Laureate, and Gerda Govine of Rose Poets.

During its inaugural 2025–2026 programming year, SGV Phoenix Poets also presented nine poetry workshops and five community poetry pop-up events throughout the San Gabriel Valley, creating spaces for individuals and families affected by the Eaton Fire to write, reflect, and connect through poetry.

The scholarship-winning poems, along with additional submissions, will be published in a commemorative print and digital anthology celebrating the voices of writers impacted by the Eaton Fire. The anthology will be unveiled at a community celebration featuring poetry readings, entertainment, and light refreshments. 

The celebration event takes place at 7pm on Saturday, August 15th and will also serve as a fundraiser to sustain SGV Phoenix Poets' youth scholarship program in the years ahead. To support the scholarship, attend the event, and/or learn more, please visit: https://artnqkjd.donorsupport.co/page/FUNLDLJZMCN.

"In the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, poetry became a way for our community to remember, mourn, heal, and imagine what comes next," said Raffi Joe Wartanian, founder of SGV Phoenix Poets and a Lecturer with UCLA Writing Programs. "These scholarships honor not only exceptional young writers, but also the resilience and hope they embody."

Founded in response to the January 2025 Eaton Fire, SGV Phoenix Poets champions the authentic self-expression of individuals and communities impacted by the disaster. Through poetry workshops, public events, and educational programming, the initiative creates opportunities to remember, honor, mourn, express, and explore the possibilities of recovery through the literary arts.

SGV Phoenix Poets' inaugural programming year was made possible through support from the Academy of American Poets and the Mellon Foundation, with fiscal sponsorship provided by the Light Bringer Project. The initiative also partners with the National Association for Poetry Therapy and the Eaton Fire Collaborative.

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For more information, visit www.sgvphoenixpoets.org.

Media Contacthttps://www.sgvphoenixpoets.org/faq-contact