ROANOKE – Virginia Western Community College announced the winners of its inaugural Virginia Community College System Poetry & Visual Arts Competition this week.
Participating students submitted original poetry and visual artworks during February and March interpreting the theme “I Belong.” The program aimed to foster a sense of community and belonging at Virginia Western and across the Virginia Community College System. Twenty of the 23 colleges in the VCCS participated in this first year of the Poetry & Arts Competition, which was supported by the VCCS Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Culture.
Virginia Western Poet Laureate for 2024 – Chanlee Luu
Second place in poetry – Jennifer Sheppard
Third place in poetry – Emma Turner
Virginia Western Art Visionary for 2024 – Samuel Evans
Second place in art – Amelia Smith
Third place in art – Austin Dovel
Winners at Virginia Western received $200 gift cards, with second place winning $100 and third place winning $50. Chanlee Luu also won a spot to complete for statewide honors. College poetry winners from across Virginia will participate at a live performance of their original theme-related poems at the Dickinson Fine and Performing Arts Center at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville on April 6, and a chance to be named “Poet Laureate” of Virginia’s Community Colleges. A panel of distinguished judges will determine the winner of the competition based on the individual’s original poetry, a private interview and the Saturday performance.
“The work of our students is wonderful,” said VCCS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Carla Kimbrough. “I’m so grateful to college coordinators who organized the competitions at their colleges, and the judges at the college level who helped us find true gems of creativity in this inaugural event. We are so excited to showcase the message of belonging from our talented poets and visual artists from so many of our colleges at our April 6 event.”
With the support of Virginia’s Humanities, the winners from all 20 participating colleges will have their poetry and visual arts featured in a book to be published this summer. The Virginia Humanities grant also supported professional development for the college poet laureates and top visual artists.
Additionally, Virginia Western is hosting an open mic event for all of the college’s student participants on April 16.
