Creativity Awards 2023
Previously known as the Creative Writing Awards, North Central Texas College kicked off the first annual Creativity Awards on April 27th, 2023. Author, Maria Dahvana Headley, attended this event as the honorary guest speaker for the evening.
NCTC would like to congratulate the winners of the 2023 Creativity Awards, and wish them the best in their ongoing future. Below is the list of the categories and winners for each.
Adult Fiction:
First Place: Carla Hardin, “The Eastern Sector”
Second Place: Jessica M. DeMent, “The Maroon Foyer”
Third Place: Dru Richman, “Freedom”
Adult Poetry:
First Place: Melissa Laussman, “A Day at the Rhine”
Second Place: Molly Jessup, “Morning in Whidbey”
Third Place: Kristopher Cisneros, “You Haven’t Lived Until…”
High School Fiction:
First Place: Cora Stallings, “A Dozen Days”
Second Place: Celia Miller-Pitt, “Sing for Me”
Third Place: Jessica Brynn Cohen, “Yes”
High School Poetry:
First Place: Loel Izzard, “The complete lack of consistency in cadence and meter is actually a complex metaphor for how I have no idea what I’m doing”
Second Place: Ensley Carey, “girl & boy”
Third Place: Sophia Ramsey, “Combat”
Middle School Poetry:
First Place: Belicia Martinez, “Guilt”
Second Place: Raleigh Rhodes, “Surprised by Time”
Third Place: Tianna Galindo, “What Lies Ahead”
NCTC Fiction:
First Place: Danyelle Schofield, “Saving You Up”
Second Place: Amia Dhadda, “Liar”
Third Place: Jacqueline Causey, “The Miracle of New Year’s Eve”
NCTC Poetry:
First Place: Danielle Clark, “Healing”
Second Place: Jessie Brauer, “Gone”
Third Place: Ashleigh Tripp, “Nothing But Yours”
NCTC Creative Nonfiction:
First Place: Jacob Duran, “In the Forest There Lived People”
Second Place: Jessica Clark, “Millville”
Third Place: Briley Davies, “I Call Bull”
NCTC Expository Nonfiction:
First Place: Liz Lemmon, “Art and Disability: A Symbiotic Relationship of Innovation and Expression”
Second Place: Rachel Seay, “Protection for Young Citizens: The Evolution of Texas’ Judicial System”
Third Place: Rory Dulock, “Western Literature: Usage of Symbolism Toward a Common Theme”
General Publications & Honorable Mentions
Alan Elliott, Adult Poetry, "Where Wildflowers Grow"
Aleeha Chaudhry, NCTC Creative Nonfiction, "The Fight"
Alyssa Tidmore, NCTC Expository Nonfiction, "Virtual Free Speech and the Degradation of Discourse"
Maryam Anwar, HS Poetry, "Bee Stinger"
Jessie Brauer, NCTC Expository Nonfiction, "Capital Punishment vs. Life Without Parole in Texas"
Casey Cloud, NCTC Fiction, "Bones"
Pip Chrustawka, NCTC Fiction, "Second Chance"
Cole Conley, NCTC Fiction, "A Moment, Noticed"
Cole Conley, NCTC Poetry, "Private Nights"
Reagan Cox , HS Fiction, "Say Goodbye (I don't want to)"
Mary Davenport, Adult Poetry, "The Six Senses of Motherhood"
Kanoelani Frisella, NCTC Creative Nonfiction, "The Missing Piece"
James A. Hunter, NCTC Fiction, "Biblical: A Dramatized Retelling of the Origin of Jesus Christ Superstar"
Julie Potter, NCTC Creative Nonfiction, "Greenhouse"
Kasey Rhodes, HS Poetry, "Making Pottery"
Riya Sajan, HS Poetry, "I Belong Here"
Matthew Terry, NCTC Poetry, "Before the New Dawn"
Mary Morrison, Adult Poetry, "if I could choose my broken"
Shreya Venkatachalam, HS Poetry, "Yet Another Troubled Soul"
Stephanie Pass, Adult Poetry, "The Accidental Blind Date"
Yasmi Nunez, HS Poetry, "Era of Your Dreams"
Debbie Rhodes, Adult Poetry, "What Am I Missing"
Addison Smith, NCTC Expository Nonfiction, "Distributive Justice and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Who Gets Treatment?"
Kaneolani Frisella, NCTC Expository Nonfiction, "How Rosario, Argentina was Affected Throughout Changes of Power"