Visions Magazine Winners 2018-2019
Saint Francis University’s Literature & Languages Department sponsored its third annual writing contest for ninth- through twelfth-grade students attending schools in the counties of Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Indiana, Somerset, and Westmoreland. Students from various high schools in these seven counties and beyond submitted their short fiction, poetry, essays, and personal narratives for the contest.
Each submission was judged and scored by English faculty according to these five criteria: (1) creativity, (2) structure, (3) content, (4) style and expression, and (5) grammar, mechanics, and formatting. Scores were then tabulated to determine the contest winners and honorable mention recipients.
First Place: Ashley Barletta, for her poem “Thanksgiving.” Ashley is an 11th-grade student at Venango Catholic High School.
Second Place: Sarah Jean Hines, for her short fantasy story “The Cardinal King.” Sarah Jean attends Penn Cambria High School and is currently in the 11th grade.
Third Place: Kevin Rowland, for his found poem “Great White Wings.” Kevin is a 12th-grade student at Gateway High School.
Six honorable mentions were also selected by the faculty judges:
- Sophia Cafeo, for her poem “Honesty” (Grade 11, Richland High School)
- Emerson Ekis, for his poem “inside my mind there is a bomb” (Grade 11, Venango Catholic High School)
- Mackenzie Metz, for her poem “Worn” (Grade 11, Venango Catholic High School)
- Janaki Patel, for her poem “A Rose’s Lament” (Grade 11, John P. Stevens High School)
- Hope Elizabeth Winger, for her poem “Ownership” (Venango Catholic High School)
- Anna-Lise Zimoski, for her poem “257 Spruce Street” (Grade 11, Venango Catholic High School)
Each winner and honorable mention recipient will receive a monetary prize for his or her selected entry.
- First prize: $75
- Second prize: $50
- Third prize: $35
- Honorable mention: $20
All winning and honorable mention entries have been published in Visions, the university’s magazine for high school writing. Visions is edited by faculty member Dr. Brennan Thomas.