A Florida student has captured the top honor in Hollins University’s 58th Annual Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest.
The competition presents scholarships, prizes, and recognition for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school, or are homeschooled. This year, 442 contestants from 43 states and six countries submitted works for consideration. Winners are chosen by students and faculty in Hollins’ creative writing program.
Sandra Lin, a student at Bell High School in Bell, Florida, won first place for her work, “this is what they did.” She will receive a $350 cash prize; publication in Cargoes, Hollins’ award-winning student literary magazine; ten copies of Cargoes; a renewable scholarship of up to $5,000 provided through the Creative Talent Award in Creative Writing for a total value of $20,000 in scholarship funds over four years (applicable if she enrolls at Hollins); and free tuition and housing for the university’s Hollinsummer creative writing program for rising ninth through 12th grade students.
Five students earned second place honors in this year’s contest. They will receive publication in Cargoes; two copies of Cargoes; a renewable scholarship of up to $1,000 provided through the Creative Talent Award in Creative Writing for a total value of $4,000 in scholarship funds over four years (applicable if the students enroll at Hollins); and a $500 scholarship to apply toward Hollinsummer.
Elane Kim
Stanford University Online High School, Stanford, California
“Hanok”
“Sonnet as Open Sign”
(Cited for two of her poems, Kim is a Double Second Place Winner. Instead of the $500 scholarship, she will receive free tuition and housing for Hollinsummer in addition to the other second place prizes.)
Josephine Almond
Walton High School, Marietta, Georgia
“Strawberry Jam”
Nina Ballerstedt
Norcross High School, Norcross, Georgia
“Nani Tells the Story of My Great-Grandfather and the Tiger”
Beatrix Kim
The Pennington School, Pennington, New Jersey
“Farmhouse Feminism”
Jessica Kim
La Canada High School, La Canada, California
“Firework Girls”
Nancy Thorp, a member of the class of 1960 at Hollins, was a young poet who showed great promise when she was a student. Following her death in 1962, he family established the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest to encourage and recognize the work of young poets.
