April 9, 2024
Two high school students achieved top honors in Anne Arundel Community College’s inaugural Young Writers Award. Savannah Schweitzer from Northeast High School won the fictional short story category with her piece titled "Fallen Apples.” Michaela Osei from Chesapeake Science Point earned first place in the poetry category for her poem, "Places I Never Knew."
"We're thrilled to offer this award and to encourage young people throughout the county to pursue creative writing,” said Garrett Brown, AACC professor and coordinator of creative writing. “I see it as our mission as the community's college to offer these kinds of opportunities in the too-often-unsupported literary arts."
The Young Writers Award celebrates outstanding literary pieces from Anne Arundel County students in grades 11 and 12. The judges for this year’s awards included AACC English faculty members Johnny Lew, Ph.D., Katy D’Angelo, Ph.D., and KT Perkins.
The judges noted that Schweitzer’s story “has an incredible opening line that sets up an emotional metaphor that carries throughout the piece. The writer demonstrates maturity of style, subtly and effectively communicates character development and theme.”
They commended Osei’s poem for how it “uses concrete imagery and employs skillful use of line and stanza structure to enhance its visual and descriptive language.”
Both winners will receive a cash prize and their works will be published in Amaranth, AACC’s award-winning journal of literature and the arts. Additionally, Schweitzer, Osei, their high school principals, English teachers and counselors have been invited to Amaranth’s May 9 release celebration.
Amberlynn Gong from Severna Park High School and Evelyn Holiday from Annapolis High School were the runners-up in the short story category. Maika Ogawa from Crofton High School was the poetry category runner-up.
Submissions for the 2025 Young Writers Award will open Sept. 15, 2024.