“I was so excited, I screamed and was jumping up and down and doing cartwheels all over my house," exclaimed eight-year-old Ariana Reagor.
She's a third grader at Marshall T. Moore Elementary School who won first place in the state competition for the PTA Reflections program.
Reagor wrote a poem in the literature division.
“I started finding words that rhyme like butterfly and thought of putting in words that I like," said Reagor.
She's one of four students from her school who placed in the state competition. Reagor is advancing to nationals with another classmate, Zoey Wilson.
"This year the theme was let your imagination fly. Students were encouraged to submit artwork in six different categories," said Jan Wilson, a co-chair of the program.
Wilson said it's important to promote the arts and education amidst the state budget crisis.
“It simply encourages students all across the country to express their creativity," said Wilson.
