Young writers shine in English department's first annual writing contest
Eight high school students from across the Houston area were recognized as winners in the San Jacinto College Central Campus English Department’s first annual writing contest. The awards ceremony took place Thursday, May 1 in the Central Campus Library Grand Hall.
The writing contest, themed "Lessons from my community," invited students to share perspectives and stories drawn from their own experiences. The winning students, representing seven different high schools and six school districts, were each awarded $100 and given the opportunity to read their works aloud.
"James Baldwin said, 'You write in order to change the world,'" said Dr. Celucien Joseph, San Jacinto College Central Campus English department chair. "While our award recipients might not have set out to change the world, their words remind us that change often begins with a single well-crafted sentence. These students' work stood out among many and have shown that writing is not just a task, but a meaningful and vital form of expression."
The contest featured three categories: academic essay, poetry, and short story.
Academic Essay
- Elizabeth Luna, 10th grade, Pasadena High School
- Eliat Rodriguez, 11th grade, Sam Rayburn High School
Poetry
- Kelvin Johnson, 12th grade, César E. Chavez High School
- Rowan Leidecker, 11th grade, La Porte High School
Short Story
- Tatum Dixon, 12th grade, Clear Horizon Early College High School
- Alaa Kassem, 11th grade, North Shore Senior High School
- Diego Ramirez, 9th grade, Stephen F. Austin High School
- Alanis Trevino, 10th grade, Sam Rayburn High School
