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(Kearney, NE) -- The University of Nebraska at Kearney is announcing the winners of the Nebraska Emerging Writers and Artists Contest. 165 high school students were able to showcase their creativity by submitting essays, poems, short stories and artwork using a specific theme as inspiration. This year’s theme was “Nebraska Traditions.”
Eight winners were selected, and are listed as follows:
Essay
First place – Delayna Hermesch, Grand Island Northwest, “The Bob Devaney Sports Center: The Home of Traditions”
Second place – Trevor Beavers, Wahoo Public, “A Tradition That Makes Nebraska”
Poetry
First place – Kayla Rupe, Wilcox-Hildreth, “This is Home”
Second place – Mary Beatty, Omaha Marian, “My Favorite One”
Short story
First place – Rita Harr, Omaha Marian, “How I Found My Sister”
Second place – Sydney Hill, Milford, “The Choices We Make”
Art
First place – Cheryl Zeng, Lincoln East, “Through Binoculars”
Second place – Lauren Hills, York, “The Osborne Effect”
According to a press release, winning entries were selected by UNK undergraduate students through a blind review process. First-place winners receive a $100 prize and runners-up get $50. The winning students are also invited to present their work during the UNK English Department’s Student Language and Literature Conference.
The contest is in its fourth year.