2024-25 League for Innovation Student Art and Literary Awards
May 22, 2025
The League for Innovation in the Community College—an international consortium of colleges across the United States and Canada—annually hosts both a student literary contest and a student art competition. As a proud founding member of the League, Seattle Colleges hosts annual local, districtwide competitions from which students advance to the international level, where they compete with peers from the United States and Canada.
Student Art Competition
Congratulations to this year’s Seattle Colleges Student Art Competition awardees. The following five students will move on to the international competition, hosted this year by Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, to vie for additional cash prizes and publication in the League's Student Art Competition annual journal.
Best in Show
- “Grande Odalisque in the 21st Century” photography by Juan Eduardo Guzmán Doria, Seattle Central College
Second Place
- “Mother Ocean” clay, shells, marine litter by Alannah Laret, North Seattle College
Third Place
“Identity Crisis: Ode to Goffman in Glass and Silver” glass, obsidian, and sterling silver by Emma George Saltzberg, North Seattle College
Juror’s Choice
- “Trompe L'oeil Cardboard Wall Clock Teapot and Cookie Jar Set” clay, underglazes, glazes by Finian Long, South Seattle College
- “Enter: Gheshalt” digital illustration by Adonis Williams, Seattle Central College
Honorable Mention
- “Cement Mixer” digital photography by Julie Allen, North Seattle College
- “Stanley Knaub Wintergaurd Warmups” oil on canvas by Madeline Brandt, North Seattle College
- “Meadow Press” wood, artificial turf by O’Ryan Brody, Seattle Central College
- “Star Count 2” ceramic tiles on wood by Mona El-Taher Selim, North Seattle College
- “Mutant Carrots” digital illustration by Joo Hui Kim, North Seattle College
- “Shapeshifter” ceramic and glaze by Jessamine Pride, South Seattle College
- “Growing Up” acrylic on canvas by Emma Vanderburg, Seattle Central College
View the artwork.
The faculty coordinators and jurors – Philippe Hyojung Kim, Seattle Central College; Emily Gherard, North Seattle College; and Amiko Matsuo, South Seattle College – want to thank everyone who submitted works.
Jurors from North Seattle, Seattle Central, and South Seattle Colleges convene and select five students to represent Seattle Colleges from the submissions received. The award winners of the local contest receive a cash prize (Best of Show $150, Second Place $100, Third Place $80, Juror's Choice Awards $70) and move on to compete at the international level. Students earning Honorable Mentions at the local level receive a cash prize of $50.
Student Literary Contest
Congratulations to this year’s Student Literary Contest awardees. First place awards in Fiction, Essay, Poetry, and Drama move on to the international competition, this year hosted by Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. Two additional categories, Spoken Word and Creative Nonfiction, were open for submission locally only from students attending Seattle Colleges and do not advance first place awardees to the international level.
Fiction
- First Place: “Peaches” by Madeleine Buergel, Seattle Central College
- Honorable Mention: “Kid Metal” by Jasmine Kylmamaa, Seattle Central College
- Honorable Mention: “All the Powder in the World” by Joe Sterling, North Seattle College
Essay
- First Place: “Christmas in Afghanistan” by Matthew Forster, North Seattle College
- Honorable Mention: “Listen for Her Voice” by Rexi Rex, South Seattle College
Poetry
- First Place: “Evidence For and Against Solipsism” by Ramsey Jester, North Seattle College
- Honorable Mention: “Snow Day” by Lisa Robertson, South Seattle College
- Honorable Mention: “Biophilia” by Audrey Snider, South Seattle College
- Honorable Mention: “Category unknown” by Eva Peng, North Seattle College
- Honorable Mention: “H3aRt bR3@k” by Rosalinde Weiss, Seattle Central College
Drama
- First Place: “Miso Soup” by Matthew Forster, North Seattle College
Spoken Word (local award)
- Co-First Place: “Bad Habits” by Ubah Farah, Seattle Central College
- Co-First Place: “Supply and Unhinged Demand” by Clarissa McCloud, North Seattle College
- Honorable Mention: “Disability” by MVS, North Seattle College
- Honorable Mention: “Wrenched Heart” by Joann Nguyen, South Seattle College
Creative Nonfiction (local award)
- First Place: “A Joke, a Chrysalis, and a Goodbye” by Ashleigh Dunn, Seattle Central College
- Honorable Mention: “Without You I’m Nothing” by Brit Guenthard, Seattle Central College
Read the literary works.
The faculty judges – Matthew Hitchman, South Seattle College; Gregory November, North Seattle College; and Jeb Wyman, Seattle Central College – want to thank everyone who submitted entries.
Local award winners receive a certificate suitable for framing and a cash prize ($100 for first place, $50 for honorable mention). Awards at the international level are $500, $250, and $100, plus a certificate of merit and publication in an anthology booklet.
In the past 16 years, Seattle Colleges has fielded 14 first-place awards at the international level. These achievements are significant considering the level of competition.
Student Art and Literary Awards Celebration on June 5
Members of the Seattle Colleges community are invited to attend the League for Innovation Art and Literary Award Celebration.
League for Innovation Student Art and Literary Awards Celebration
When: Thursday, June 5, 2025 – doors open at Noon program starts at 12:30 p.m.
Where: Broadway Performance Hall, Seattle Central College, 1625 Broadway Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122
The program will include:
- Presentation of art awards
- Presentation of literary awards
- Literary readings from student awardees
Light refreshments will be served.
All student entrants are encouraged to attend. Guests are welcome.
If you plan to attend, please complete the form to RSVP.
For a list of previous award recipients, follow the links below and scroll to the bottom of the page: