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Bruce H. Leland Essay Contest Winners

2020-2021

English 100
  • 1st Place: Kelvin Lee - Title: "Aaron Rodgers Vs. the Media" - Instructor: Dan Barclay
  • 2nd Place: Aliyah Abayomi - Title: "A Liberally Educated Nurse" - Instructor: Dan Barclay
  • 3rd Place: Jaysie Pruis - Title: "It Gets Better" - Instructor: Jacque Wilson
English 180
  • 1st Place: Mindy Diaz - Title: "Disconnect to Savor More" - Instructor: Yekaterina Kozhukhova
  • 2nd Place: Henry Phippen - Title: "The Use of Pets to Combat Mental Health on Campus" - Instructor: Yekaterina Kozhukhova
  • 3rd Place: Joao Pedro Maciel Motta Roca - Title "Open Letter - Homework and Mental Health - Instructor: A.J. Rocca
English 280
  • 1st Place: Marvina Fraze - Title: "Genre System of CPA Invoices" - Instructor: Dan Barclay
  • 2nd Place: Kayla Johnston - Title: "The Minimum Wage: An Increase for the People" - Instructor: Tim Helwig
  • 3rd Place: Salem Shinn - Title: "The Burtonesque Gothic" - Instructor: Richard Ness
GH 101
  • 1st Place: Kanika Palecanda - Title: "CRISPR: The Next Big Step?" - Instructor: Tim Helwig
  • 2nd Place: Grant Hibbeler - Title: "Ecology and Exploit in Frank Herbert's Dune" - Instructor: Dan Barclay
  • 2nd Place: Salem Shinn - Title: "Memento Mori: An Enduring Image" - Instructor David Banash
  • 3rd Place: Kayla Johnston - Title: "The Kardashian-Jenner Family's Influence on Beauty" - Instructor: David Banash
Multimodal
  • 1st Place: Mackenzie Block - Title: "The Wonders of Music Therapy" - Instructor: E. Woods
  • 2nd Place: Grace McGill - Title: "Time and a Tangerine" - Instructor: Matthew Gilchrist
  • 3rd Place: Henry Phippen - Title: "Annimals Relieve Stress" - Instructor: Yekaterina Kozhukhova

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2019-2020

English 100
  • 1st Place: Peace Agbavito - Title: "Why aren't officers held accountable for their actions?"
  • 2nd Place: Rivers Ashton - Title: "Music Memories"
  • 3rd Place: Blaize McGlasson - Title: "Joining the WIU Learning Community"
  • 3rd Place: Daylon Moore - Title: "Black Chicagoans Should Start Playing Hide & Seek With the Police"
English 180
  • 1st Place: Sydney Nicole Hollis - Title: "Expensive Textbooks: Are There Alternatives?"
  • 2nd Place: Kaitlyn Hilt - Title: "Social Media Impact on Adolescent Mental Health"
  • 2nd Place: Jennifer Hamlin - Title: "My Life Transformation"
  • 3rd Place: Jaken Hicks - Title: "Analysis of Tylenol Ad in Real Simple"
English 280
  • 1st Place: Arsalaan Raza - Title: "Stop Worrying and Implement Radio Frequency Identification"
  • 2nd Place: John Warring - Title: "Genres in the Life of a Musical Theatre Production at the Black Hills Playhouse"
  • 3rd Place: Joshlyn C. Lomax - Title: "Watergate: Office of the President versus the Media and Congress"
GH 101
  • 1st Place: Likhitha Kancherla - Title: "SFFA v Harvard: Rebuilding a Wall in Higher Education"
  • 2nd Place: Kaylee Agans - Title: "How Popular Media Represents Social Class, Ageism, and Sexuality: An Analysis of the Netflix Original Series Grace and Frankie"
  • 3rd Place: Isabella Maxwell - Title: "Hidden Figures: The Hidden Stereotypes in A Successful Progressive Film"
Multimodal
  • 1st Place: Yousif Nasher - Title: "Saving WIU Students from the Dangers of Stress" [infographic]
  • 2nd Place: Madison Boyer - Title: "Stop Using Standardized Test Scores to Determine Students' Futures" [flier]
  • 3rd Place: Micaela Maldonado - Title: "Dangers of Ignoring Mental Health in College Students" [infographic]

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2018-2019

In February 2019, the following essays written in 2018 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2019.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Christina Ann Liber – Title: “Anorexia Tendencies” – Instructor: Jacque Wilson
  • 2nd Place: Devin Torres – Title: “No Filter at the Table” – Instructor: Jacque Wilson
  • 3rd Place: Jovanni Montalvo – Title: “My Pops My OG” – Instructor: Jacque Wilson
  • Honorable Mention: Brandon Villa – Title: “First Generation Student” –  Instructor: Jacque Wilson

Judges: Tim Helwig, Brenda Porter, and Kristin Sheppard

English 180
  • 1st Place: Brandon Oleson – Title: “Reflections from the Navy” – Instructor: Magdelyn Helwig
  • 2nd Place: Manuel Luna – Title: “Gone Girl: The Loss of Identity in The Social Hierarchy of America” – Instructor: Tim Helwig
  • 3rd Place: Judson Henry – Title: “The Negative Effect of Mass Incarceration” – Instructor: Jose Fernandez
  • Honorable Mention: Lenora Wildermuth – Title: “A Rough Start as a Writer” – Instructor: Magdelyn Helwig

Judges: Kathleen O’Donnell-Brown, Jacque Wilson, and Dan Barclay

Eniglish 280
  • 1st Place: Sofija Micevic – Title: “America's Future Consumers: Regulating Advertising/Marketing to Children” – Instructor: Tim Helwig
  • 2nd Place: Gracie Richardson  – Title: “The Bottom: An Analysis on Class Differences Displayed on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black” – Instructor: Tim Helwig
  • 3rd Place: Kelly Joiner – Title: “Genre System of Appealing Property Taxes” – Instructor: Dan Barclay
  • Honorable Mention: Reilly Bacorn – Title: “Fallout 4’s Class Portrayals: A Target for Future Developers” – Instructor: Tim Helwig

Judges: Jose Fernandez, Bill Knox, and Nick Nusbaumer

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2017-2018

In February 2018, the following essays written in 2017 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2018 .

English 100:
English 180:
English 280:

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2016-2017

In February 2017, the following essays written in 2016 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2017.

English 100
English 180
English 280

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2015-2016

In February 2016, the following essays written in 2015 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in March 2016.

English 100:
English 180:
English 280

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2014-2015

In February 2015, the following essays written in 2014 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2015.

English 100:
English 180
English 280

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2013-2014

In February 2014, the following essays written in 2013 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2014.

English 100
English 180
English 280

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2012-2013

In February 2013, the following essays written in 2012 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2013.

*Note about Western Voices 2013

English 100
English 180
English 280

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Western Voices Cover 20122011-2012 ( pdf)

In February 2012, the following essays written in 2011 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2012.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Meghan Garman – Title: "Epidemic of Bullying" – Instructor: Jacque Wilson-Jordan
  • 2nd Place: Dwight Field – Title: "Not Just a Pole" – Instructor: Jacque Wilson-Jordan
  • 3rd Place: Mia McLemore – Title: "Red Hot" – Instructor: Jacque Wilson-Jordan
English 180
  • 1st Place: Charles Thomas – Title: "Letter to Superintendent Koch"
  • 2nd Place: Chelsea Townsend – Title: "Define Me"
  • 3rd Place: Kate Gehn (Glenn) – Title: "The Cycle"
English 280
  • 1st Place: Matthew Gustafson – Title: "A Libary for the Digital Age"
  • 2nd Place: Elana Katz – Title: "Art vs. Crime"
  • 3rd Place: Hannah Feldhaus – Title: "Romeo and Juliet: A Real Life Tragedy"

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Western Voices Cover 2011 2010 - 2011

In February 2011, the following essays written in 2010 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2011.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Jamiece Adams – Title: "Am I All Wrong, or Am I All Right..."
  • 2nd Place: Kelly Smith – Title: "Bullying"
  • 3rd Place: Kelsey Schroeder – Title: "Even If It's Just a Memory, It's My Favorite One"
English 180
  • 1st Place: Christina Prahler – Title: "Guard Rails"
  • 2nd Place: Rachel Spreitzer – Title: "Save Your Skin">
  • 3rd Place: Paige Timion – Title: "Dingy Adventure"
English 280
  • 1st Place: Jonathan Foltz – Title: "Budget Cuts on Education: A Stake through the Heart of America"
  • 2nd Place: Layne Beuseling – Title: "Massive and Modern Hollywood"
  • 3rd Place: Meghan Psiharis – Title: "Best Supporting Country Is Truly a Sight to See"

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Western Voices Cover 2010 2009 - 2010

In February 2010, the following essays written in 2009 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2010.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Martina Rodgers – Title: "New Experiences"
  • 2nd Place: Robin Jackson – Title: "Starving Artist"
  • 3rd Place: Gianna Russo – Title: "Nani"
English 180
  • 1st Place: Geoff Norfleet – Title: "As Far as I Could Go"
  • 2nd Place: Cody Brant – Title: "When is Enough, Enough?"
  • 3rd Place: Jennifer Shackelford – Title: "I am the Strong One"
English 280
  • 1st Place: Diana Lozowska – Title: "Legalizing Marijuana"
  • 2nd Place: Amber Simmons – Title: "Wind Energy for a Better Tomorrow"
  • 3rd Place: Jackson Courter – Title: "The Method of Martin Luther King, Jr."

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Western Voices Cover 2009 2008 - 2009

In February 2009, the following essays written in 2008 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2009.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Alex J. Crivolio – Title: "Trophies of Hockey"
  • 2nd Place: Donovan Lowry – Title: "Life-Long Memories">
  • 3rd Place: Madeline Swanson – Title: "A Breath of Fresh Air"
English 180
  • 1st Place: Tyler A. Gordon – Title: "Losing the 'Real' in Reality"
  • 2nd Place: Jackson Courter – Title: "Making the Cut"
  • 3rd Place: William Steele – Title: "Russia's Wrongful Invasion of Georgia"
English 280
  • 1st Place: ;Michael Pearce – Title: "From the Classroom to the Camps: Doctors in Nazi Germany"
  • 2nd Place: Keri Plica – Title: "Can I Have a Plus With That?"
  • 3rd Place: Jamese Carrell – Title: "Homeschooling"

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2007 - 2008

In February 2008, the following essays written in 2007 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2008.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Cameron Bohnstedt
  • 2nd Place: Lauren Munson
  • 3rd Place: Steven Gryczka
English 180
  • 1st Place: Katie M. Stein
  • 2nd Place: Tony Felbab
  • 3rd Place: Craig Morris
English 280
  • 1st Place: Junko Minami
  • 2nd Place: Micah Spayer
  • 3rd Place: Steven Sommers

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Western Voices Cover 2007 2006 - 2007

In February 2007, the following essays written in 2006 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2007.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Briana Lynn Williams – Title: "The Ten-Foot Terror
  • 2nd Place: Sara Foxman – Title: "The Accident"
  • 3rd Place: Emily Kaiser – Title: "Will Things Ever Change?"
  • Honorable mentions: Junko Minami – Title: "The English Debate" & Kelly O'Toole – Title: "English 100"
English 180
  • 1st Place: Chelsea Lynn DeRose – Title: "Present Arms"
  • 2nd Place: Amber Brainerd – Title: "The Door Is Open"
  • 3rd Place: Amie Thurow – Title: "Angel of Gabriel"
  • Honorable mentions: Christin Hemberger – Title: "McDonough Country Animal Shelter" & Marianna Vaughan – Title: "The Athlete Artist"
English 280
  • 1st Place: Nicole Swanson – Title: "Utopia and Utilitarianism Undercover"
  • 2nd Place: Andrew Wessler – Title: "Red Motor Madness"
  • 3rd Place: Jared Bohland – Title: "Where's PawPaw?"
  • Honorable mentions: Andrew Nemeth – Title: "Revealing the USA Patriot Act" & Lily Simmons – Title: "The Infinitesimal Moment"

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Western Voices Cover 2006 2005 - 2006

In February 2006, the following essays written in 2005 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2006.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Michael Bachner – Title: "Worst Day"
  • 2nd Place: Jason Nuccio – Title: "The Chase"
  • 3rd Place: Jared Williams – Title: "The Crash"
English 180
  • 1st Place: Dustin Heimer – Title: "Love in an Elevator"
  • 2nd Place: Shannon Durward – Title: "Transforming Bureaucracies into Communities"
  • 3rd Place: Abigail Klokkenga – Title: "Binge Drinking on College Campuses"
English 280
  • 1st Place: Justin Bartlett – Title: "Bridging the Gap of Religious Diversity"
  • 2nd Place: Robert Deveraux – Title: "Dreams, Memories, & Remembering"
  • 3rd Place: Jane Woerly – Title: "Zero Tolerance">

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2004 - 2005 Western Voices Cover 2005

In February 2005, the following essays written in 2004 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2005.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Ryan Hackett – Title: "What is Fair Game">
  • 2nd Place: Robert Paul Welch – Title: "Cousin Dick"
  • 3rd Place: Luigi Sosi – Title: "A Day in the Life of an Addict"
  • Honorable mentions: Alex Kuehn – Title: "Blood-Stained Glass" & Patrick Shippert – Title: "Unexpected"
English 180
  • 1st Place: Meghan Soustek – Title: "There is More to Baste than Just Turkeys"
  • 2nd Place: Rachel Matecki – Title: "Flowing Ivory"
  • 3rd Place: Angela Kerr – Title: "Worth a Thousand Words"
  • Honorable mentions: Megan Griffin – Title: "Pour Some Sugar on Me" & Hillary Parks – Title: "The Lack of Gifted Education Programs"
English 280
  • 1st Place: Rachel Ellerbroek – Title: "The Enduring Effects of Evil"
  • 2nd Place: Lindsay Pettoruto – Title: "Nano Revolution"
  • 3rd Place: Stephen Anthony Taylor – Title: "Lifting the Ban"
  • Honorable mentions: Geoff Guist – Title: "Springsteen and Diallo" & Tiana Griffin – Title: "It's Not a Quick Fix"

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2003 - 2004 Western Voices Cover 2004

In February 2004, the following essays written in 2003 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2004.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Nicci Kelley – Title: "My Guardian Angel"
  • 2nd Place: Lindsey Heiden – Title: "One Last Time"
  • 3rd Place: Katie Thompson – Title: "View from the Top"
  • Honorable mentions: Erin Anderson – Title: "Narrative of My Mother's Death" & Jeff Wakeland – Title: "Smoothing the Transition to College"
English 180
  • 1st Place: Eric Hill – Title: "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff"
  • 2nd Place: Emily Toohill – Title: "Underweight Does Not Mean Unhealthy"
  • 3rd Place: Bridget Hills – Title: "Should Smoking Be Banned on University Campuses?"
  • Honorable mentions: Kyla Cox – Title: "Danger in the Streets" & Kristen Vetter – Title: "Treiber's Target"
English 280
  • 1st Place: Ian Billingsley – Title: "The Effectivenss of the "Male" Communication Style in Modern Society"
  • 2nd Place: Alaina Maxwell – Title: "Human Cloning: The Purpose, Prose, and Problems"
  • 3rd Place: Lynne Senne – Title: "Style Analysis: Jonathan Swift, 'A Modest Proposal"
  • Honorable mentions: Lasandra Charles – Title: "The Rumor That Killed" & LaQuenta Rudison – Title: "Capital Punishment: The Contemporary Philosophical Perspective"

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2002 - 2003 Western Voices Cover 2002

In February 2003, the following essays written in 2002 were selected as winners to be honored at English Awards Night in April 2003.

English 100
  • 1st Place: Chris Large – Title: "The Marines: A Life Changing Experience"
  • 2nd Place: Jeremy Eldridge – Title: "Pool Party"
  • 3rd Place: Jeremy Zentner – Title: "Conquering Fear"
  • Honorable mentions: Kisa Schmidtke – Title: "When is it 'Fair Game'" & Scott Fixmer II – Title: "Fufilling My Childhood Dream"
English 180
  • 1st Place: Chris Bell – Title: "Seeing the Elephant: My War Story"
  • 2nd Place: Lisa O'Brien – Title: "The Gallop of Life"
  • 3rd Place: Reuben Ingram – Title: "Shopping for the 'Write' Process"
  • Honorable mentions: Bill Donato – Title: "The Adrenaline Rush of Friendship", Jennifer Whacker, "First Grade Curls"
English 280
  • 1st Place: Kasey Tedford – Title: "Birth Control: A Prescription in Need of Recognition"
  • 2nd Place: Lindsay A. Blaine – Title: "From 'Boob Tube' to Feeding Tube: The Media's Role in Young Girls' Eating Disorders"
  • 3rd Place: Kevin Froehlich – Title: "Springsteen: The Power of 'American Skin'"
  • Honorable mentions: Danielle A. Boland – Title: "Bombing at Dresden" & Erin Waters – Title: "How One Woman Lived Her Life in an Hour"

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Awards Archive

Note: Essays were written in the previous year and published after the English Awards Ceremony each spring