The Mississippi School of the Arts (MSA) Literary Arts students recently received awards in the prestigious Regional Scholastic Creative Writing Competition hosted by The Eudora Welty House, in conjunction with the Eudora Welty Foundation. MSA students received 1 American Voices Nomination/Best in Show, 1 Senior Portfolio Silver Key Winner, 5 Senior Portfolio Honorable Mentions, 5 Gold Keys, 36 Silver Keys and 33 Honorable Mentions. We are very proud of the fact that every Literary Arts student at MSA won an award.
Winners include: John Hollins of Columbia received one of only five “American Voices” Nominations for Best In Show, 2 Gold Keys, 1 Silver Key and 2 Honorable Mentions: Vernell Allen of Brookhaven received a Silver Key for his Senior Portfolio, 1 additional Silver Key and 2 Honorable Mentions; Aerial Adams of Jackson received an Honorable Mention for her Senior Portfolio, 3 Silver Keys and 2 Honorable Mentions; Christopher Melton of Brandon received an Honorable Mention for his Senior Portfolio and 4 Silver Keys; Jessica Moore of Natchez received an Honorable Mention for her Senior Portfolio, 2 Silver Keys and 1 Honorable Mention; Elly Fae Williams of Philadelphia received an Honorable Mention for her Senior Portfolio, 1 Gold Key, 4 Silver Keys and 5 Honorable Mentions; Morgan Goodwin of Ocean Springs received 1 Gold Key; Kelsey King of Bogue Chitto received 1 Gold Key, 1 Silver Key and 3 Honorable Mentions; Shiloh Alexander of Perkinston received 2 Silver Keys and 2 Honorable Mentions; Faith Cavalier of Brookhaven received 2 Silver Keys and 4 Honorable Mentions; Erykah Drone of Jackson received 2 Silver Keys and 1 Honorable Mention; Drea Jefferson of Columbia received 2 Silver Keys and 1 Honorable Mention; Dawson Johnson of Hazlehurst received 2 Silver Keys; Ashley Lang of Greenwood received 2 Silver Keys and 5 Honorable Mentions; Sydney Lucero of New Hebron received 3 Silver Keys and 1 Honorable Mention; Christian Reynolds of Meridian received 2 Silver Keys and 1 Honorable Mention; Amelia Stanford of Brookhaven received 1 Silver Key and 1 Honorable Mention; Isabel Williams of Brandon received 1 Silver Key; Claire Kinnell of Hattiesburg received 1 Honorable Mention and Cayla Morgan of Carriere received 1 Honorable Mention.
Writing entries represented diverse categories, including dramatic script, humor, journalism, personal essay/memoir, short story, poetry, science fiction/fantasy, as well as general fiction and non-fiction portfolios.
Entries receiving American Voices nominations and Gold Key awards, which are the highest level of achievement, will be sent to New York City where they will compete in the national competition among 80 other regions.