July 01, 2004

Scholarships presented to 10 young writers

by K.C. Jaehnig

(Editors: Note local towns, names)

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Eight Illinois teens and two from out of state won scholarships to Southern Illinois University Carbondale's sixth Young Writers Workshop June 30 through July 3.

Michelle E. Brown (Albion), Jennifer Christie (Carbondale), Jenna Stoeber (Edwardsville), Leigh Sullan (Fairbury), Krishna N. Pattisapu (Mount Vernon), Jason Pastorik (Ottawa), Emily R. Pieper (Park Forest), Mary Francis Popit (West Frankfort), Kayleigh Bohemier of Canton, Mo., and Kira W. Lander of Marshall, Va., each received tuition support to attend the annual creative-writing camp, which features classes, panel discussions and readings.

The awards showed up in the form of reduced bills when the students enrolled on the first day of camp.

"Some people had a really nice surprise when they showed up," said founder and director Allison E. Joseph.

Five of the students won scholarships named for students in SIUC's creative writing program who have died. Pattisapu and Popitwon half-tuition Roxana Rivera Memorial Scholarships in poetry, Christie won a $50 Andy P. Smith Memorial Scholarship in prose, and Lander and Stoeber won half-tuition Brad Younkin Memorial Scholarships in prose.

A $75 Joy Katz Scholarship in poetry, named for a nationally known poet who has published work through the SIUC Press, went toPieper. Pastorik won a $50 Denise Duhamel Scholarship in poetry, named for another national writer published by the Press. A $50 Marva Nelson scholarship and a $30 Alberta Skaggs scholarship, both for students in prose and named for alumni, went toBohemier and Brown respectively, while Sullan won a $50 Curtis Crisler Scholarship in poetry, named for the camp's assistant director, a current student in the creative writing program.

Readings by students cap the four-day camp. This year's readings will take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 3, in Cisne Auditorium in Pulliam Hall.

Other students attending the camp (by hometown) are:

  • Anna: Mary K. Meadows
  • Argenta: Chelsea Allen
  • Champaign: Emily Holm
  • Chicago: Alexandra Macias, Alden G. Matamoros
  • Creal Springs: Jacob Wilkins 
  • Jonesboro: Rachel Sommer 
  • Morrison: Eliot Driver
  • Murphysboro: Erika R. Hookham
  • Nokomis: April Schuerman
  • River Forest: Kathleen Richards
  • Woodridge: Corliss Davis
  • Zion: Kathryn Vines

MINNESOTA

  • New Brighton: Ariel Kirst

MISSOURI

  • Crystal City: Elizabeth Pippin