Hastings College is hosting an awards ceremony March 3 to recognize 39 outstanding young writers from across Nebraska as an affiliate of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Nebraska state poet Matt Mason will be the keynote speaker, and winners will also have the opportunity to participate in workshops that day led by Mason and Hastings College faculty and staff.
“This was the biggest year yet for the Nebraska Scholastic Writing Awards, with 131 entries,” said Dr. Patricia Oman, associate professor of English, director of the Hastings College Press and chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures. “There are many talented young writers in Nebraska, and we are excited to recognize 39 students who received honors, the most students recognized since we began sponsoring the program in 2019. We’re looking forward to recognizing them and also being creative with them in workshops held before the ceremony.”
The 16 Gold Key and 23 Silver Key entries will be published by Hastings College Press in a book titled “Best Nebraska Teen Writing 2023.” Students will receive a copy of the book, as well as certificates, scholarships and other items during the event.
For the 12 students who received Gold Key awards, and in some cases multiple Gold Key awards, the opportunity for further recognition continues as their pieces will be sent to the national competition, where they will be judged by a panel of leading creative professionals. Five pieces were also nominated for the American Voices Award, which recognizes students with an original, authentic voice. National jurors will select one nominee from each region for the American Voices Award.
Students from all 93 counties of Nebraska and age 13 and above are invited to submit original work in any of the Awards’ writing categories. Works are then judged by a panel of Hastings College faculty, staff and students.
Students receiving awards are listed alphabetically below.
- Olivia Achtemeier of Beatrice; Writing Portfolio, Gold Key; Flash Fiction, Silver Key; Short Story, Honorable Mention
- Vaishvika Balamurugan of Lincoln; Poetry, Silver Key
- Eve Bishop of Chadron; Novel Writing, Silver Key and Honorable Mention; Poetry, Honorable Mention
- Katie Bough of Grand Island; Poetry, Gold Key
- Anastasia Brock-Ondresky of Boys Town; Poetry, Honorable Mention
- Addison Bryant of Anselmo; Writing Portfolio, Honorable Mention
- Allie Bunjer of Omaha; Poetry, Honorable Mention
- Gabrielle Burns of Gretna; Poetry, Gold Key and Silver Key
- Jalyssa Caldwell of Grand Island; Personal Essay & Memoir, Silver Key
- Ana Carson of Doniphan; Poetry, Silver Key and Honorable Mention
- Rebekah Daily of North Platte; Poetry, Silver Key
- Siri Doddapaneni of Omaha; Flash Fiction, Honorable Mention
- Nathan Ertzner of Stromsburg; Writing Portfolio, Honorable Mention
- Rebecca Ford of Cortland; Short Story, Gold Key, American Voices Nominee and Silver Key; Personal Essay & Memoir, Gold Key and American Voices Nominee; Poetry, Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention; Journalism, Silver Key
- Miah Fox of Paxton; Short Story, Gold Key and American Voices Nominee
- Grace Genoways of Fort Calhoun; Poetry, Honorable Mention
- Camila Gomez of Lincoln; Writing Portfolio, Gold Key
- Semhar Hailesellassie of Lincoln; Dramatic Script, Honorable Mention
- Autumn Hall of La Vista; Short Story, Silver Key
- Haley Holzfaster of Paxton; Poetry, Honorable Mention
- Alice Jones of Elkhorn; Science Fiction & Fantasy, Silver Key
- Morgan Lahm of Ceresco; Poetry, Honorable Mention
- Megan Lambert of Boys Town; Writing Portfolio, Honorable Mention; Poetry, Silver Key and Honorable Mention; Personal Essay & Memoir, Honorable Mention
- Carmen Marley of Lincoln; Writing Portfolio, Silver Key
- Emma Marten of Grand Island; Short Story, Honorable Mention
- Thomas McCarthy of Omaha; Short Story, Honorable Mention
- Magnolia Moriarty of Omaha; Poetry, Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention
- Aden Niebuhr of Lincoln; Flash Fiction, Gold Key; Short Story, Honorable Mention
- Katelyn Omer of Omaha; Poetry, Silver Key
- Grace Peng of Omaha; Short Story, Silver Key
- Braelynn Schlenger of Ericson; Short Story, Honorable Mention
- Ashmiza Shaik of Gretna; Journalism, Silver Key; Flash Fiction, Honorable Mention
- Calvin Snyder of Elkhorn; Critical Essay, Gold Key and American Voices Nominee; Personal Essay & Memoir, Honorable Mention
- Logan Sylliaasen of Wahoo; Writing Portfolio, Gold Key; Science Fiction & Fantasy, Gold Key; Personal Essay & Memoir, Honorable Mention
- Hannah Tang of Lincoln; Personal Essay & Memoir, Silver Key
- Lydia Vlcek of Chapman; Short Story, Honorable Mention; Science Fiction & Fantasy, Honorable Mention
- Hannah Wooldridge of Omaha; Writing Portfolio, Honorable Mention
- Charlie Yale of Omaha; Journalism, Gold Key; Critical Essay, Silver Key
- Daniel Yoo of Lincoln; Personal Essay & Memoir, Gold Key and American Voices Nominee
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program was established in 1923 and has supported the creative talent of millions of students, including distinguished alumni Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Charles White, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andy Warhol, all of whom received recognition in the Awards when they were teens.
