PhillyGoes2College Selects Student Winners to Perform at The Wawa Welcome America Festival
Philadelphia’s youth are ready to take the stage at this year’s Wawa Welcome America Festival, where you can catch screenings and live performances by the winners of the PhillyGoes2College “I Am Philadelphia” contest.
The Contest
PG2C teamed up with The Wawa Welcome America Festival on the “I Am Philadelphia” contest with the mission of uplifting the voices and celebrating the aspirations of the city’s young people. Students had two options for entering: the “I Am College Bound” spoken word performance or the “Great Things Are Happening in Philadelphia” video challenge.
Submissions were judged by an expert panel that included Trapeta Mayson, the city’s 2020-2021 Poet Laureate; Quentin Williams, Founder and Executive Director of DragonTree Media and We The People Stage; Andrew Greenblatt, CEO & Executive Director of the Philadelphia Film Society; Professor Paul Swann of Temple University’s Department of Film and Media Arts; and Dave Silver, Founder of Rec Philly.
Catch Our Student Winners Live and On Screen
You can find poetry winner Candelaria Beatty and finalist Isabel Catalan performing their original pieces “The Ardent Ones” and “Sentence Kisses for a City” at The Our America Now event set to take place at The Barnes Foundation on July 2nd from 6-10pm. Videos of their poems will be shown alongside Teyanna Stone’s “Philly Calls,” winning submission of the “Great Things” challenge, ahead of the festival’s community movie nights on June 20th, 21st, 23rd, and 29th; Philly POPS July 3rd concert at The Mann Center; and July 4th Concert at the TD Pavilion at The Mann Center.
Great Things Are Happening In Philadelphia Video Challenge
Winner: Teyanna Stone
Teyanna grew up loving all forms of entertainment. Her first love is music, but she loves creating stories and worlds through film, video, and theater. Teyanna attended Central High School and will be graduating in May of 2021 from Temple University, having studied media production, theater, and music. Her mission is to tell a tale that creates an impact on people and she is striving to make a massive impact on the industry. See her piece “Philly Calls” below.
I Am College Bound Spoken Word Contest
Winner: Candelaria Beatty
Born and raised in Germantown, Candelaria is a rising sophomore at Masterman High School, a devoted ballet dancer, and a lover of poetry. She was excited to enter the contest to reflect on her own motivations and challenge herself to write and perform a passionate piece. After high school, she hopes to study science and pursue a career in research. See a clip and full-length video of her piece “The Ardent Ones” below.
I Am College Bound Spoken Word Contest
Finalist: Isabel Rose Catalan
Isabel Rose Catalan is a Philly born and raised aspiring writer and artist. She majored in Creative Writing at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) and will continue to do so at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts starting this fall. She entered the contest aiming to have her voice heard in tribute to this city steeped in creativity. See a clip and full-length video of her piece “Sentence Kisses for a City” below.
A special and sincere thank you to all students who entered “I Am Philadelphia.” Stay tuned to PG2C social media to see additional student submissions.
