Hastings College to recognize 58 students with Nebraska Scholastic Writing Awards

(Hastings, Nebraska) – Hastings College will recognize 58 outstanding young writers from across Nebraska as an affiliate of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards during an awards ceremony on Thursday, April 17. 

During the ceremony, college faculty and Kiara Nicole Letcher, the author of “Scream Queen” and “Oxblood,” will host a workshop for recipients beginning at 1:00 p.m. on campus, followed by the ceremony, during which Letcher will speak.

The 58 students receiving honors is the most since Hastings College began sponsoring the program in 2019. Last year, which also set a record for awards, saw 52 students receive honors. The list of award recipients is included below.

Of all recipients this year, seven students received seven Gold Key awards, which allows their work to advance to the national competition where it will be judged by a panel of leading creative professionals. 

Five students also had work 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 national American Voices Award.

The seven Gold Key and 50 Silver Key entries were also published by Hastings College Press in a book titled “Best Nebraska Teen Writing 2025.” Students will receive a copy of the book, as well as certificates, scholarships and other items during the awards ceremony.

“We have such talented student writers in our state, and it is a joy to give honors to these young people. Each year it is harder to pick top recipients,” said Dr. Pedro Vizoso, Hastings College professor of Spanish who managed the awards this year.

Students receiving awards are listed alphabetically below.
-Brooke Adam, North Star High School (Lincoln); Critical Essay: Silver Key; Personal Essay & Memoir: Silver Key, Honorable Mention
-Emily Alison, Millard North High School (Omaha); Personal Essay & Memoir: Silver Key
-Armando Alvarez, Elkhorn Ridge Middle School (Omaha); Poetry: Honorable Mention
-Aliyah Anderson, Blair High School (Blair); Novel Writing: Silver Key
-Emma Baldeh, Dundy County Stratton High School (Benkelman); Science Fiction and Fantasy: Gold Key, American Voices Nomination, Honorable Mention 
-Hannah Beckwith, Millard North High School (Omaha); Poetry: Honorable Mention
-Kellen Bees, Bellevue West Senior High School (Bellevue); Poetry: Honorable Mention
-Maria-Ageliki Bernitsas, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart (Omaha); Journalism: Honorable Mention
-Eve Bishop, UNL Independent Study High School (Lincoln); Science Fiction and Fantasy: Honorable Mention; Poetry: Gold Key, American Voices Nomination, Silver Key
-Emma Bowery, Fort Calhoun Junior/Senior High School (Fort Calhoun); Science Fiction and Fantasy: Silver Key
-Gabrielle Burns, Millard North High School (Omaha); Poetry: Silver Key, two Honorable Mentions
-Ana Carson, Doniphan-Trumbull High School (Doniphan); Poetry: two Honorable Mentions
-Madalyn Croteau, Bellevue West Senior High School (Bellevue); Poetry: Silver Key, Silver Key, five Honorable Mentions
-Rebekah Daily, home school; Flash Fiction: Honorable Mention; Poetry: Honorable Mention; Humor: Silver Key
-Claire Davis, Hastings Senior High School (Hastings); Poetry: Silver Key, four Honorable Mentions
-Taylor Douchey, Fort Calhoun Junior/Senior High School (Fort Calhoun); Personal Essay & Memoir: Honorable Mention; Journalism: Honorable Mention
-Miah Fox, Paxton Consolidated School (Paxton); Short Story: two Honorable Mentions; Flash Fiction: Honorable Mention; Dramatic Script: Honorable Mention; Personal Essay & Memoir: Silver Key; Senior Portfolio: Silver Key
-Darbie deFreese, Holdrege High School (Holdrege); Short Story: Silver Key
-Mia Donohue, Daniel J Gross Catholic High School (Bellevue); Poetry: Honorable Mention
-Autumn Hall, Daniel J Gross Catholic High School (Bellevue); Short Story: Silver Key; Poetry: Silver Key
-Seamus Haney, Creighton Preparatory School (Omaha); Senior Portfolio: Silver Key
-Sophia Hegarty, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart (Omaha); Poetry: Honorable Mention
-Connor Holmstedt, Fort Calhoun Junior/Senior High School (Fort Calhoun); Poetry: Honorable Mention
-AJ Kirsch, Westside High School (Omaha); Short Story: Honorable Mention
-Lorelai Klosner, Boys Town High School (Boys Town); Short Story: Silver Key
-Julian Kruse, Bennington High School (Bennington); Poetry: two Honorable Mentions; Personal Essay & Memoir: Silver Key
-Adrishya Kumar, Brownell Talbot School (Omaha); Poetry: Silver Key, Honorable Mention; Personal Essay & Memoir: Silver Key, Honorable Mention
-Samantha Ladwig, Fort Calhoun Junior/Senior High School (Fort Calhoun); Science Fiction and Fantasy: two Honorable Mentions; Poetry: two Silver Keys
-Marcus Luevano, Northwest High School (Grand Island); Short Story: Honorable Mention
-Roman Maglinger, Elkhorn South High School (Omaha); Personal Essay & Memoir: Honorable Mention
-Caliana McBride, Lincoln Southwest High School (Lincoln); Science Fiction and Fantasy: Honorable Mention
-Daniela Monzalvo Tolentino, Grand Island Senior High School (Grand Island); Personal Essay & Memoir: Honorable Mention
-Magnolia Moriarty, Millard South High School (Omaha); Flash Fiction: Honorable Mention; Poetry: Gold Key, two Silver Keys, three Honorable Mentions
-Anthony Musser, Omaha South High Magnet School (Omaha); Poetry: Gold Key, American Voices Nomination, two Silver Keys, two Honorable Mentions
-L. M. Nelson, Logan View Junior/Senior High School (Hooper); Flash Fiction: Silver Key; Poetry: two Honorable Mentions
-Katelyn Omer, Millard North High School (Omaha); Poetry: Silver Key, Honorable Mention
-Kaeda Parde, Boys Town High School (Boys Town); Science Fiction and Fantasy: Honorable Mention
-Isabella Parmeley, LPS Arts & Humanities Focus Program (Lincoln); Poetry: Gold Key, two Silver Keys
-Kathleen Parmeley, Lincoln Northwest High School (Lincoln); Poetry: Honorable Mention
-Jay Peters, Omaha South High Magnet School (Omaha); Poetry: two Silver Keys
-Camdyn Pruett, Millard West High School (Omaha); Novel Writing: Honorable Mention; Poetry: Silver Key, two Honorable Mentions
-Arabella Richling, Grand Island Central Catholic School (Grand Island); Critical Essay: Honorable Mention 
-Delloyd Robertson, Fort Calhoun Junior/Senior High School (Fort Calhoun); Science Fiction and Fantasy: Silver Key
-Alexander Schuler, Fort Calhoun Junior/Senior High School (Fort Calhoun); Short Story: Silver Key
Jihye Seo, Lincoln East High School (Lincoln); Short Story: Silver Key
-Ashmiza Shaik, Millard North High School (Omaha); Journalism: Silver Key, two Honorable Mentions
-Joslyn Smith, Elkhorn North High School (Omaha, NE); Novel Writing: Honorable Mention
-Dahlci Studley, Northwest High School (Grand Island); Poetry: Honorable Mention
-Jupiter Sturm, Boys Town High School (Boys Town); Science Fiction and Fantasy: Silver Key, Honorable Mention; Short Story: Honorable Mention; Poetry: Silver Key
-Aiden Tinkham, Fort Calhoun Junior/Senior High School (Fort Calhoun); Short Story: Honorable Mention
-Priscilla Ton, North Star High School (Lincoln); Poetry: Gold Key, American Voices Nomination
-Gage Townsend, Kearney High School (Kearney); Science Fiction and Fantasy: Silver Key, two Honorable Mentions; Flash Fiction: Silver Key, Honorable Mention; Short Story: Honorable Mention
-Lydia Turner, Parkview Christian School (Lincoln); Critical Essay: Honorable Mention 
-Daniel Vanourney, Westside High School (Omaha); Journalism: Silver Key, two Honorable Mentions
-Annah Vogelpohl, Elkhorn Ridge Middle School (Omaha); Science Fiction and Fantasy: Honorable Mention; Short Story: Silver Key
-Ashleigh Walls, Fort Calhoun Junior/Senior High School (Fort Calhoun); Short Story: Silver Key
-Marybelle Ward, Valentine High School (Valentine); Personal Essay & Memoir: Honorable Mention
-Daniel Yoo, Southwest High School (Lincoln); Short Story: Gold Key, American Voices Nomination; Poetry: four Silver Keys, five Honorable Mentions; Personal Essay & Memoir: Silver Key, Honorable Mention.

Students from all 93 counties of Nebraska and age 13 and above were invited in the fall 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.