2020 MCDOWELL WRITING AWARD RECIPIENTS HONORED WITH SPECIAL CEREMONY

“On April 27, 2020, Program Director and Greenhills English teacher Rebecca Randolph presented the 2020 McDowell Writing Award recipients with their prizes. Due to current restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 crisis a traditional ceremony was not possible. Although we weren’t able to come together for a proper celebration, Randolph visited each recipient’s home to surprise them in front of their families.

The awards, created as part of the David McDowell Fund to Encourage Excellence in Writing at Greenhills, have been recognizing outstanding writers at Greenhills for 26 years. “Writers remind us of our humanity and strengthen our bonds,” according to Randolph, “they [writers] help us to find our better selves, to celebrate our individuality, and to ‘expand our sense of life’.” 

The Winners:

Essay 7/8
“To Have Courage in Maycomb” by Sadie Schultz

Essay 9–12
“Should the Rosetta Stone be Returned to Egypt?” by Arjun Purohit

Fiction/Memoir 6
“Tanzanite” by Natalie Koch

Fiction/Memoir 7/8
The Forest by Nate Gajar

Fiction 9–12
“Eisweissburg” by Lilian Quinn

Journalism 9–12
“The Irishmen: A Study in Morality” by Lilian Quinn

Playwriting 9–12
“Over the Counter” by Will Ellsworth

Poetry 6
“The Golden Frame” by Jessica Primus

Poetry 7/8
“A Collection of Poems” by Mia Abbasi

Poetry 9-11
“Words; randomly arranged” by Kenya Hall