Spanish Creative Writing Contest Crowns Winners

The Seventh Spanish Creative Writing Contest is in the books.

The competition, titled “Through Our Words: Creative Writing Contest in Spanish,” featured participants from across Nebraska.

Organized by University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) faculty, the contest celebrates the Spanish language and encourages its creative use.

Students grades five through eight submitted mini-poems (140 characters or less) or mini-short stories (300 words maximum) written in Spanish. The short stories were inspired by a work of art housed at Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum or El Museo Latino, with the name of the art and location included in the submission.

Students in grades nine through 12 submitted non-fiction personal narratives written in Spanish with the theme and subtitle of: “Diversidad: una historia personal” (Diversity: a personal story).

Here are this year's winners:

Grades 5-6: Poetry

1^st: “Mi perro” by Melissa Ochoa, Marrs Magnet Center, G. 5
2^nd: “The Pearl of Venice” by Myah Toscano, Marrs Magnet Center, G. 6
Honorable Mention: “Little Dancer” by Adriana Gómez-Guerrero, G.6

Grades 7-8: Short-Story

1^st: “Una bendición” by Wesli Monterroso, Schuyler Middle School, G.8
2^nd: “Tomemos un té” by Iván Varela, Schuyler Middle School, G.7
Honorable Mention: “El pueblo San Julián” by Jackson Pérez-Solano, G. 7

Grades 9-10: Non-fiction Narrative

1^st: “El viaje de mi vida” by Lázaro Alexander Contreras, Omaha South High School, G. 9
2^nd: “Diversidad, una historia personal” by Marcela Rosiles Chávez, Bryan High School, G. 9
Honorable Mention: “Guatemala y los Estados Unidos” by Antonio E. Velásquez; Omaha South High School; G. 10

Grades 11-12: Non-fiction Narrative

1^st (shared): “Un negro chico en un lugar blanco” by Brandon Simms, Bellevue East High School, G. 12
1^st (shared):”Diversidad: mi historia personal” by Sulagna Sensarma, Brownell-Talbot School, G.12
2^nd (shared): “Diversidad: Una historia personal” by Preston McLaughlin; Omaha Central High School; G. 12
2^nd (shared): “La diversidad” by Juana Feliciana Xiquin Velásquez, Omaha South High School, G.11
Honorable Mention: “Caleidoscopio de perspectivas” by Emily Crook, Bellevue East High School, G. 12

This year’s contest was sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Foreign Languages, Masters of Arts in Language Teaching Program and Office of Latino/Latin American Studies. Additional support comes from El Museo Latino and the Joslyn Art Museum.

The winners were announced in late November.