Cecil College Creative Writing Program honors student authors

NORTH EAST, Md: The Cecil College Creative Writing Program hosted its annual award ceremony and public reading Monday evening in the lobby of the Milburn Stone Theatre, recognizing outstanding student writers and showcasing original literary works from current Cecil College students.

The annual contest celebrates student creativity through poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Three faculty members served as judges, selecting award winners who then had the opportunity to publicly read their work during the ceremony.

“We will hear from five students,” said organizer Nathanael Tagg, Professor of English at Cecil College. “They have all been gracious enough to agree to read, and I know that takes a little courage. It’s one thing to present your work in classes and another to read in a public setting.”

Following the student readings, faculty members also shared selections of their own creative writing. The evening included poetry and prose readings along with additional remarks and presentations of certificates to award recipients. Light refreshments were served during the event.

The 2026 Creative Writing Award winners included:

• Tina Shockey for her work “The Night That Holds Us.”
• Severin Abbey for her poem “I’d Freeze Too.”
  Mary Fowler for her short story “Vilaura.”

Honorable mention awards were presented to:

• Joshua Sinclair for his poem “Growing Flowers.”
• Ethen Lammey for his short story “Rebirth.”

www.cecil.edu