East Central College students were recently honored for their outstanding work in academic and creative writing through the annual Poetry and Research Writing Contest hosted by the English and Humanities Department.

The contest featured two categories—Research and Poetry—and recognized students whose submissions demonstrated originality, critical thought, and strong writing skills. Winners received cash prizes and will have their work published in the upcoming edition of ECC’s Literary and Art Review.

In the Research category:

• First Place — Kristen Cook, “Learning Through Listening: Exploring the Legitimacy of Audiobooks in Education” ($100)
• Second Place — Taylor James, “The Deal with Amtrak and Springfield, Missouri” ($50)
• Third Place — Reis, “The Luminescent Soul: Gnostic Philosophy, Transgenderism, and Christian Transprejudice” ($25)
• Honorable Mention — Kendall Krause, “The Story Behind Kendrick Lamar’s Superbowl LIX Halftime Show”

In the Poetry category:

• First Place — Kenny Jacks, “You are my Sunshine (Veronah’s Poem)” ($100)
• Second Place — Lauren Hooey, “Five Year Plan” ($50)
• Third Place — Hope Bratch, “Women at War” ($25)
• Honorable Mention — Bailey Weber, “A Different Kind of Fairy Tale”

The contest was judged by ECC faculty members John Hardecke and Dr. Aurelia VonTress, who evaluated entries for originality, depth, and technical quality.

The Literary and Art Review, ECC’s annual publication celebrating student creativity, will be released later this spring and will feature these award-winning pieces alongside other selected student work.

For more information about ECC’s English and Humanities Department or the Literary and Art Review, visit www.eastcentral.edu.