Personal Essay Contest // 2023

Since 2018, The Writing Center@PVCC has hosted the Walt Kehoe English 111 Personal Essay Contest to celebrate the voices and stories of rising PVCC students. We are pleased to share with you the 2023 winners. These essays were all submitted as assignments in English 111 classes in the spring, summer, or fall 2023 semesters. Entries were read and scored anonymously by Writing Center tutors. The three winners and the four honorable mentions are published here. We had many wonderful entries and selecting even these finalists was challenging. The eventual winners won us over through creative use of language, inventive storytelling, and distinctive voice. The essays appear here as they were submitted and reflect the work of emerging writers. We hope you enjoy them.