Skip to main content

2017

Blinn-Schulenburg names Emerging Writers Contest winners

Seven student writers earn recognition for academic writing, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry

May 1, 2017

Emerging Writers 2017

Blinn College recognized the winners of its sixth annual Emerging Writers Contest Friday, April 28, at the Blinn-Schulenburg Campus. Front row seated (L to R): Emily Soto, Amanda Watson, Krissi Paschall and Jonah Saunders. Back row standing (L to R): Greg Phillips, Pat Westergaard, John McCourt, Blair Todd, Blinn-Schulenburg Campus Director Becky Garlick, Blinn Vice President for Instruction Dr. Crystal Lee, and Blinn English Professor Audrey Wick. Not pictured: Beatrice Burton.

Seven Blinn College students recently were recognized from more than 130 entries in the sixth annual Blinn College-Schulenburg Emerging Writers Contest.

Jonah Saunders (La Grange) placed first and Krissi Paschall (Weimar) placed second in academic writing, Emily Soto (La Grange) placed first and Blair Todd (Flatonia) placed second in fiction, Beatrice Burton (La Grange) placed first and John McCourt (La Grange) placed second in non-fiction, and Amanda Watson (La Grange) placed first and Burton placed second in poetry.

The winning papers can be found at www.blinn.edu/schulenburg-campus/emerging_writers.html. Writing from past winners also can be found on the website.

“I have always been an avid outdoorsman and that was the inspiration behind my writing about recycling and the environment,” Saunders said. “Getting started was the hardest part, but once I got going I was able to find more and more research on the topic.”

The contest, open to all students who have taken a Blinn-Schulenburg course within the past academic year, was sponsored by Cengage Learning. Cengage Learning awarded gift cards to this year’s winners and honored some previous winners by featuring their work as models of exemplary student writing on its website. A winner from last year’s Emerging Writers Contest was published in The Daily Yonder, a multimedia website featuring rural news, commentary, research, and features.

The awards ceremony was attended by local writers Bill Bishop, Dr. Julie Ardery, and Beth Wiseman, each of whom offered the students advice regarding the writing craft. Wiseman served as one of the contest’s judges.

“Writing and communication skills are as important as ever, and this contest helps celebrate some of the positive, effective projects our students create,” said Audrey Wick, English Professor. “Blinn-Schulenburg provides rich opportunities for students to learn and explore through writing.”

Blinn-Schulenburg offers a variety of academic transfer, workforce training and continuing education classes to fit the needs of any student. For information on course offerings and student registration, visit: www.blinn.edu/schulenburg/ or call 979-743-5200.


The winners were:
ACADEMIC WRITING
First place: Jonah Saunders
Second place: Krissi Paschall

FICTION
First place:Emily Soto
Second place: Blair Todd

NON-FICTION
First place: Beatrice Burton
Second place: John McCourt

POETRY
First place: Amanda Watson
Second place: Beatrice Burton

Over 130 entries were received, and judges have selected these winners based on their work in academic writing, fiction, non-fiction and poetry.


Prizes sponsored by Cengage Learning.
Online publication awarded to winners through www.blinn.edu