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Media Contact: Maddy Elledge
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Five Young Harris College Students Become Finalists in Prestigious Writing Competition
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — Five Young Harris College students were recently selected as finalists in the 46th Annual Agnes Scott Writers’ Festival Contest.
Junior creative writing major Zachary Daily, of Blairsville, Ga., and senior creative writing major Morgan Bilicki, of Blairsville, Ga., were selected as a poetry finalists, senior creative writing major Sarah Boudreau, of Cumming, Ga., and junior English major Natalee Diehl, of Rome, Ga., were selected as a fiction finalists, and senior creative writing major Andie Weaver, of Covington, Ga., was selected as a drama finalist.
“We’re so proud of all of our finalists and their creative work,” said Assistant Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing Chelsea Rathburn. “The contest is a really fantastic opportunity for our students to have their work read alongside that of undergraduate and graduate students from programs across Georgia.”
The winners of the contest will be selected by visiting writers at the Agnes Scott Writers’ Festival and will be announced on Thursday, April 6. The winner in each category will receive $500.
“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity because I know experiences like this give me the chance to step back and critically think about where I am in a piece,” said Weaver. “Being a finalist feels wonderful, but it also compels me to examine the piece I submitted and ask myself why I think it got in. This process gives me a better awareness of my work as a whole and helps me grow as a writer significantly.”
This is the fourth year in a row that YHC students have been selected as finalists in the contest. This year, YHC had the second-highest number of finalists of any college in the competition.
“Our students’ successes are evidence that Young Harris College is one of the best undergraduate creative writing programs in Georgia,” said Rathburn. “YHC’s small class sizes and rigorous curriculum make it a wonderful place for students who want to learn the craft of writing.”
For more information about YHC’s creative writing program, visit yhc.edu/creativewriting.
(Left to right) Young Harris College students Sarah Boudreau, Natalee Diehl, Andie Weaver, Zachary Daily (not pictured) and Morgan Bilicki (not pictured) were recently named finalists in the prestigious Agnes Scott Writers’ Festival Competition.
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private, baccalaureate degree-granting college located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires and empowers students through the highest quality liberal arts education. The College currently has more than 1,100 students across five divisions—Education, Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics and Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The historic campus in Young Harris, Ga., has completed major campus improvements to accommodate the College’s growth. Recent LEED-certified campus improvements include the 121,000-square-foot Rollins Campus Center, new residence facilities, and a 57,000-square-foot recreation and fitness center. The College is an active member of NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the prestigious Peach Belt Conference. YHC is among fewer than 300 colleges and universities nationwide named to the 2016-2017 list of Colleges of Distinction and is listed as a “Best National Liberal Arts College” by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
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