Poets representing a wide range of student interests and backgrounds submitted their best work in the 11th Annual Student Poetry Contest sponsored by the Alfred C. O'Connell Library at Genesee Community College. Among them, three Genesee County residents were rewarded this week for their inspiring works.
A total of 52 poems were submitted by 22 students, whose hometowns range from the local region, to as far as the Bronx, and who attend classes at GCC's Batavia, Arcade, Albion, Dansville and Warsaw campus centers.
First Place was earned by Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) student Autumn Piletz, of Bergen, for "Thomas Bixton, 1888-1921 A Man Who." Among authors she credits with inspiring her are J.R.R. Tolkien and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and she hopes to pursue a career as a writer and author.
Teacher Transfer major Melissa Fuchs, of Oakfield, garnered Second Place for "Runaway Train" and Corfu's Paul Lane was named Third Place winner for "If I Was a Flower."
Each poet received a certificate, a journal to continue their writing, a copy of "Poetry" and a prize donated by a local business or campus organization, including The Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, Genesee Country Village and Museum, Darien Lake Theme Park, GCC College Bookstore and AVI Foodsystems.
