PORTAGE LAKE, Maine — Justine Nason of Portage Lake said she was both “excited and emotional” upon learning she was one of three high school students chosen as winners of the Maine Community College System’s A Journey Into Writing contest and named a 2014 Governor’s Young Writer of the Year.
A Journey Into Writing is open to all high school juniors and home-schooled students of the same age.
Nason, who will be a senior at Ashland District School this fall, said she entered the contest after hearing about it from her English teachers.
“I try to look for writing contests in my own time, but I’m usually pretty unsuccessful,” she said. “The recognition and money also helped in my decision, along with the open prompt and grade restriction.”
As a winner, Nason, 17, will receive a framed award and a $2,500 check.
“The award will be hung on the wall along with a copy of the $2,500 check and my poem, of course,” she said. “With the money, I plan on buying a laptop and using the rest on college tuition, books, etc. when it’s needed.”
Nason won for her poem, “No Vacancy.”
“When I wrote ‘No Vacancy,’ I was kind of in a tough place,” she said. “I was sad and stressed out; school was bearing down on me, my friend was going through some stuff, and I noticed that I was having trouble remembering some things.”
Nason, the daughter of Eldon and Janet Nason, said it’s an honor to be one of the Governor’s Young Writers of the Year.
“In middle school, I had won writing contests before, but I wasn’t nearly as excited as I was when I got the letter that I had been one of the winners for this,” she said. “I got very emotional and told my Mom. She cried, too, and emailed a copy of the letter to my Dad who was at work, and he said he freaked out and got very emotional, too.
“Pretty much everyone was freaking out. The letter asked us not to reveal the winners, but my Mom could not not tell all her family in Texas. And my Dad printed the letter and showed all his co-workers,” said Nason. “I was the only one who kept it a secret … except I told my English teacher from grade 6-10, Mrs. [Catherine] Packard, because she is kind of like my mentor. She has taught me a lot about writing.”
MCCS President John Fitzsimmons said the institution is happy to acknowledge such talented writers.
“In winning this prestigious award, these three young writers are a great source of pride for their families, schools and communities,” he said. “We are thrilled to help celebrate excellence in writing by Maine’s next generation of writers.”
The judges for the 10th annual contest were Maine authors Susan Kenney, Lewis Robinson and Bill Roorbach. The contest is supported by U.S. Cellular, which has provided $90,000 in prize money to contest finalists since the program was established in 2005.
In all, 12 finalists were chosen from 153 entries in this year’s contest, representing over 40 Maine high schools.
Over the past 10 years, more than 2,245 Maine students have submitted entries for the writing contest. To enter, students submit a short story, essay or poem of up to 1,500 words.
