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Department ofEnglish

Previous Award Winners

English Department Prize Winners

Christiaan Theodoor Lievestro Prize

2023
Cassidy Block
for “Austen’s Vindication for Women’s Education,Women as Depicted in Tennessee Williams, Under the Greenwood Tree and A Pair of Blue Eyes: Hardy’s Post-Darwinian Romance”

2022
Mac Mann-Wood
 for Portfolio of essays: “Literature and Liberation: Not One Without the Other”, “Good Versus Evil & Light Versus Dark in The Book of Night Women”, “Literacy as a Tool of Ableism: Yes, Even in Apocalyptic Contexts”

2021
Nathan Barnes
 for "Reconciling America’s Folk Literary Narrative, Literacy Liberates our Original Thought on the Foundation of Epistemology, Kairos: The Web Journal that Redefines" and "Interdisciplinary Scholarship in Writing" Studies

2020
Erika Rasmussen
for her Portfolio of essays: Wordsworth’s Immortal Ode, Ecological Awareness in the Old English Judith: Purposeful Interconnection and Gender, & Othello and the Vulnerability of Reality: Ideology, Responsibility, and Race"

2019
Perla Luna for "The Potential and Limitations of Empathy as Resistance in The Hate U Give, Confronting the Terror Whiteness, and Negotiating Identity"

2018
Esther Young for her essays: "Open Mics as Models for Urban Revitalization: The Role of Downtown San José’s Open Mics in the Context of Gentrification and Creative Placemaking" & "Uncle Silas as an Irish Novel"

2017
Silvia Signore for her portfolio of essays from Dubliners, Tennessee Williams’ plays, and Beloved; Essays titled: "From Where the Narrator Stands," "A Portrait of Reality: Misunderstood Women in a Man’s World,' "The Catharsis of (Re)Memory"

2015-2016
Jenna Morgan

2014-2015
Jacob Wilbers

2013-2014
Laura Sylvan

2012-2013
William Usdin

2011-2012
Julianne Parayo

2010-2011
Stephanie Wilson

2009-2010
Elizabeth Sweeney
Giuseppina Chiaramonte

2008-2009
Krystal Wu

2007-2008
Julianne Jigour

2006-2007
Athena Arnot-Copenhaver

2005-2006
Julie Sugishita

2004-2005
Melissa Franklin

2003-2004
Katherine Quevedo

2002-2003
Geoffrey Rocca

2001-2002
Leslie-Ann Holt

2000-2001
Katie Colendich

1999-2000
Shilpa Arora

Katherine Woodall Prize

2023
Cassidy Block for her essay "Women as Depicted in Tennesee Williams"

2022
Tied for First:
Jaden Fong for his essay "Physiological and Spiritual Health in William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale and Marlon James’ The Book of Night Women"
Emma Samuel for her essay "Queerness in Measure for Measure"

2021
Tied for First:
Jessica Joudy for her essay "Harriet Meziere’s Moreton Abbey (1786): Recovering Experimental 18th c. Women's Fiction That Is More Than Just Novel” 
Felicia Jarrin for her essay "Ending the Cycle of Abuse: Manifestations of Intimate Partner Violence, Gender Roles, and Sisterhood in 'Woman Hollering Creek' and 'Sabrina & Corina'" 
Honorable Mention:
Alexa Alfano for her essay "'California’ and California: Place and Hedonism from Ginsberg to Didion."

2020
Katya Trushchankova for her essay "Gender Equality to Salvation through The Phoenix"

2019
Austin Gray for “Fit in or Get Out: The Unfortunate Binary Choice for Upwardly Mobile Black Men in America”

2018
Gabby Deutsch for her essay “Surrealist Humor in 'Git on Board' and 'Negrotown'”

2017
Emma Ferrell for her essay “Uncontrollable Consumption:
Double-Colonization in Toni Morrison’s Beloved”

2015-2016
Clara Cushing

2014-2015
Patrick McDonell

2013-2014
Kayla Unger

2012-2013
Kaitlyn Baker

2011-2012
Richard Jon Teel

2010-2011
Katherine Tolentino

2009-2010
Reid Hudson

2008-2009
Sarah Graham

2007-2008
Maureen McKenzie

2006-2007
Matthew Hendricks

2005-2006
Matt Meyerhofer

2004-2005
Ben Chee Kong Mok

2003-2004
Andres Carillo

2002-2003
Shiaw-Ling Lai

2001-2002
Claire Angelici

2000-2001
Kara Thompson

1999-2000
Lisa Myers,
Shannon Roth

1998-1999
Danielle Aberle

1997-1998
Lisa Adams

McCann Short Story Prize

2023
Blake Bruno for "Good Friends, Louisiana"
Runner-up:
Gideon Devendra for "Punchin' Judy Sees Magic"

2022
Sophie Wink for "The Girl"

2021
Eric Bressinger for "The Winds"
Runner-up:
Felicia Jarrin for "Motherland"

2020
Amanda Eason
for her short story "Lighter"

2019
Annie Loewen for her short story "Yesterday"

2018
Kelley Dong for her short story "Multiocular O"

2017
Madeline Nguyen for her short story "i hope you felt loved"

2015-2016
Emma Ferrell

2014-2015
Kalyn Josephson

2013-2014
Nicholas Anthony

2012-2013
Sarah McMClammy

2011-2012
Kelly McMeekin

2010-2011
Jane Wongso Suhardjo

2009-2010
Giuseppina Chiaramonte

2008-2009
Randy Holaday

2007-2008
Kelsey Maher

2006-2007
Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi

2005-2006
T.J. Moran

2004-2005
Ben Swanson

2003-2004
Erin Pate

2002-2003
Tanya Landsberger

2001-2002
Peter Riehl

2000-2001
H. Robert Berg III

1999-2000
Courtney A. Richards

1998-1999
James Duncan

1997-1998
Lisa Adams

1995-1996
Lisa Adams

1994-1995
Erin F. Kimura

1993-1994
Eliza Raquel Gallardo

1992-1993
Christoper E. Waters

1991-1992
Robert Eugene Nelson

1990-1991
Julie Katherine Franklin

1989-1990
Cheryl Ann Tonry

1988-1989
Melinda Ann Markham

1987-1988
Kirsten Sue Gorman

1986-1987
Catherine D. Thompson

1985-1986
Melinda Lee Bihn

1984-1985
Mary M. Norris

1983-1984
Nancy Renee Novak

1982-1983
John Jeffrey Brazil

1980-1981
Brian D. Johnson

1979-1980
Neal R. Jimenez

Tamara Verga Prize

2023
Ruby Gutierrez
for “6th Street Bridge.”

2022
Jaden Fong
for “Elegy for a Found Animal Skull.”
Honorable Mention:
Nathaniel Metz for "Somewhere Else Doing Strange Work."

2021
Jaden Fong
for “There will come a day when the deer trails will be my trails, until they will not be anymore.”
Honorable Mention:
Sarah Lackey for "When I think of lightning."

2020
Erika Rasmussen
for her poem "Psalm 151"

2019
Erica Rasmussen for “Mylėti Means To Love (Barely Known), On Either Side of Jonah, Down To The Elbows”

2018
Shelley Valdez for her poems “Love and Other Fire Hazards”, “The Softest Bitch in Town”, and “Last Words from a Pillar of Salt”

2017
1st Place: Emma Ferrell for her poems “Ode to a Beautiful Button”, “Finding the Memory Box in my Parents’ Basement”, and “I was trying to pin down these thoughts with thumbtacks”
Honorable Mention: Kelley Dong for her poem: “Incompleteness, Forever”

2015-2016
Shelley Valdez

2014-2015
Forrest Nguyen

2013-2014
Sabrina Barreto

2012-2013
Victoria Isabel Yap

2011-2012
Sabrina Barreto

2010-2011
Ainsley Kelly

2009-2010
Nicholas Sanchez

2008-2009
Nicholas Sanchez

2007-2008
Kristina Capella

2006-2007
Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi

2005-2006
Molly Mellinger

2004-2005
Neil Ferron

2003-2004
Alexander M. Weyand

2002-2003
Nicole Docimo

2001-2002
Dustin Cu

2000-2001
Katie Colendich

1990-2000
Gareth S. Lee

1998-1999
Gareth S. Lee

1997-1998
Elizabeth Demske

1996-1997
Maureen E. McDonnell

1995-1996
Marci L. Duren

1994-1995
Antonio S. Facchino

Shipsey Poetry Prize

2023
1st Place: Nathaniel Metz for "How to Grow Blurry."
2nd Place: Ruby Gutierrez for "6th Street Bridge."
3rd Place: Sarah Neus for "Passerby."

2022
1st Place: Nathaniel Metz for "Silence."
2nd Place: Nadine Koochou for "For Assyrians, Past and Present."
3rd Place: Joey Hernandez Mena for "I like the sound my puffer jacket makes when I walk."
Honorable Mention: Sunkyo Chun for "Hollow."

2021
1st Place: Jaden Fong for "Modern Day Pygmalion"
1st Place: 
Nate Metz for "Color and Acceptance"
2nd Place: Jessica Joudy for "devoted"
3rd Place: Riley Scherr for "For my brother, wherever he should be"

2020
Zhi-Ying Chua
for her poem "Rasa Sayang"

2019
Erika Rasmussen for her poems “Mylėti Means To Love (Barely Known)”, “On Either Side of Jonah”, and “Down To The Elbows”

2018
1st Place: Shelley Valdez for her poems “Love and Other Fire Hazards”, “The Softest Bitch in Town”, and “Last Words from a Pillar of Salt”

2nd Place: Dominic Tran for his poems “Methanol Fire”, “Cannonball”, and “Phoenix”

3rd Place: Avery Ikeda for her poems“Fight Song of a Public Defender”, “For Katrina”and “Becoming”

2017
1st Place: Shelley Valdez for her poems “The Great Glass Jar”,
“For the Girl Who Introduced Me to Anne Carson”, and “Postcards”
2nd Place: Miles Lagunas for his poems “Ode to Apep,” “Hummingbird,” and “Fine Art.”
3rd Place: Riley O’Connell for her poems “Numbers Guy”,“my father’s son”,
and “Prayers Onto My Lips”
4th Place: Jimmy Flynn for his poems “tastebuds,” “recipe,” and “why me?”

2015-2016
Shelley Valdez

2014-2015
Sabrina Barreto

2013-2014
Kathryn McAuliffe

2012-2013
Sarah McClammy

2011-2012
Sabrina Barreto

2010-2011
Marty Saunders

2009-2010
Ainsley Kelly

2008-2009
Rachel Wilde

2007-2008
Kiik Araki Kawaguchi

2006-2007
Kristina Chiapella

2005-2006
Stefanie Silva

2004-2005
Stefanie Silva

2003-2004
Alexander M. Weyand

2002-2003
Holli Ogle

2001-2002
Matthew Schenck

2000-2001
Dana K. C. Wolfe

1999-2000
Quentin Obis

1998-1999
Gareth S. Lee

1997-1998
Gareth S. Lee

1996-1997
David M. Metzger

1995-1996
Joseph M. C. Tung

1994-1995
Antonio S. Facchino

1993-1994
William R. Turner

1992-1993
Julie M. Zografos

1991-1992
Elizabeth M. Kelly

1990-1991
Julie M. Zografos

1989-1990
Malinda A. Markham

1988-1989
Malinda A. Markham

1987-1988
Catherine D. Thompson

1982-1983
Kevin J. Kelly

1981-1982
Christine L. Long

1980-1981
Mary L. Shipsey

1979-1980
Kathryn S. Bold

Multimodal Writing Prize

2023
Evan Fine for "Running From Light"

2022
Maeve Corbett for "Body Image" collage/poem
Honorable mention:
Ruby Gutierrez for "Environmental Racism" video/script

2021
Alexa Alfano for "Podcast on Shakespeare's King Lear"
Honorable mention:
Brianha Jackson for "The Mindful Narrative Website"

2020
Sydney Thompson and Khiely Jackson for their project titled: "Anti-Racist Teaching Collective"

2019
Kimy Grandi Soriano - How are femmes honoring Frida Kahlo's legacy in the US

2018
Gavin Cosgrave

2017
Tim Shur & Mark So

2016
Hannah Kortbawi & Taylor Tagawa

2015
Marissa Martinez, Max Nguyen, Erin Root, & Max Silva

2014
Gordon Change & Steve Olivera

First-Year Composition and Rhetoric Prize

2022-23
CTW 1
1st place: Darrien Mitri: "Happy Meal"

CTW 2
1st place (tie): Ayden Dauenhauer: "Student Debt, Life Altering Consequences, and the Political Conflicts Behind It All"
1st place (tie): Brian Nguyen: "Would Art by Another Hand Look Just as Sweet?"

2021-22
CTW 1
1st place (tie): Katy Wolff: "Julkakor (or Christmas cookies)"
1st place (tie): Ellie Fox: "The Prison to Homelessness to Prison to Homelessness Pipeline"

CTW 2
1st place (tie): Renee Ho: "The Pandemic of Anti-Asian Racism"
1st place (tie): Isa Fernandez: "An Analysis on how Panethnic Identities Should Be Used"

2020-21
CTW 1
1st place: Oliver Branham-Upton: "Exam0ination of Inexorably Racialized Education"
2nd place: Bryce Nishi: "Mushrooms of Many Names"
3rd place: Dalia Suszko: "Mushrooms of Many Names"
CTW 2
1st place: Sophie Rotter-Aboyoun: "Expressions of Gratitude in College"
2nd place: Rhiannon Briggs: "Tradition Shattered: The role of “Co-Eds” at Santa Clara University"
3rd place (tie): Alex Coleman: "Growing Up an Alien: The Effects of Late Diagnosis on Autistic Women"
3rd place (tie): Brendan Plunket :"Motorsport’s Marketing, Monetization, and Maximization"

2019-20
CTW 1
1st place: Samantha Stahl: "Elucidation of the Discordant"
2nd place: Sarah Tartell: "Snapchat Video Recording and Its Impact on Our Memory"
3rd place: Meerah Thompson: Ethnogenesis of Venice, CA
CTW 2
1st place: Kristina Yin: Trisha Nguyen: "Expanding Imagination"
2nd place (tie): Teresa Contino: "Down with the Cap and Gown"
2nd place (tie): Charlotte Zhang: "The Failure to Diversify Within Cultural Identity in America"

2018-19
CTW 1
1st place: Sarah Zazzo: "Disney and Environmentalism: Fantasy or Reality"
2nd place: Zach Heffron: “Seattle's White Denial in an Economic Boom”
3rd place: Alex Reents: “On the Shores of my (more recent) California Journey”
CTW 2
1st place: Kristina Yin: “Racist in the Machine: What are the Causes of Algorithmic Bias”
2nd place: Gabrielle Serena: “Hashtag Campaigns and Viral Activism: Social Media in the Me Too Era”
3rd place: Gabe Reed: “A Critical Examinations of Trash TV

2017-18
CTW 1
1st place: Ciara Moezidis: "A Letter to the Grave"
2nd place: Alexandria Kissas: “‘Stand by Your Man’date: How Official Commentary on Issues Like TPS Contributes to the Ongoing Debate of Conservatism vs. Liberalism in a College Atmosphere”
3rd place: Fiqir Taye: "Obedience of Authority"
CTW 2
1st place: Kyler Juarez: "Social Media and the Women’s Marches: Feminist or Hinderance?"
2nd place: Katie Byers: "No Drought of Ignorance"
3rd place: Brooke VanSant: "How Fair is Fair Trade?"

2016-17
CTW 1
1st place: Colin Alexander: “The Forgotten Movement”
2nd place: Khiely Jackson: “The California Dream as Seen Through a Golden Bridge”
3rd place: Sibel Fite:  “A Rainbow’s Reflected Light”
CTW 2
1st place: Rena Abu-Gharbiyeh: “The Evolution of Sports Broadcasting”
2nd place: Shining Liu: “To Be Inspired: An Exploration of Social Enterprises and Scaling Up”
3rd place: Holly Waggoner : “Women’s Education in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Eastern Asia”

2015-16
CTW 1
1st place: Matthew Robinson: “From Arcadia to a Zillion: A Critical Examination of a Literary Coming of Age”
2nd place: Matilde Saucedo: “The Bedrock of Human Nature”
3rd place: Hannah Kim: “Walking Down the (Sunset) Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Role of Ethnogenesis in Hollywood”
CTW 2
1st place: Miranda Wittmond: “Working on Sex Work”
2nd place: Claire Hultquist: “Yatra Visvam Bhavati Ekanidam: Where the Whole World Meets in a Single Nest”
3rd place: Alexis Amano: “Holistically Human Amputation and the Human Aesthetic”

2014-15
CTW 1
1st place: Avery Ikeda “The Bronco: The Myth, The Legend, The Statue”
2nd place: Ester Young: “Censorship of the Female Body”
3rd place: Angelina Poole: “Political Satire in the Daily Show: It is no laughing matter”
CTW 2
1st place: Ally Mueller: “Sports and Domestic Violence: Correlation of Causation”
2nd place: Laura Kastilani: “Untitled”
3rd place: Tisha Harnlasiri: “The Aristocracy of the American Higher Education System”

2013-14
Lyn Ishizaki-Brown
Sophie Meyer

2011-2012
Edward Nugent

2010-2011
Kyra Johana Sjarif
Amanda Turner

2009-2010
Mary Reynolds

2008-2009
Khanh Le Vu Trinh

2007-2008
Dan Anh Do

2006-2007
Kelsey Maher

2005-2006
Susannah Rooney
Krystal Wu

2004-2005
Mallory Anne Carlson
Leslie Ann Santikian

2003-2004
Griselda Renteria

2002-2003
Alexander M. Weyand

2001-2002
Meghan O'Neill

2000-2001
Jennifer Re

1999-2000
Kelly Vranas

1998-1999
Heather Powell

1997-1998
Yenni Young

1995-1996
Huda A. Al-Msirashi

1991-1992
Samantha Lang

1990-1991
Robin E. Wooding

1989-1990
Matthew J. Ward

1988-1989
William Forrest III

1987-1988
Rafel Roman

1986-1987
Sharon E. Voth

1984-1985
Kevin L. O'Neill

1983-1984
Megan O'Tool