Personal Essay Contest // 2021

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 2021 winners. These essays were all submitted as assignments in English 111 classes in the fall, summer, or spring 2021 semesters. Entries were read and scored anonymously by Writing Center tutors. The four winners and the eight additional staff picks 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.