WRITING PORTFOLIO
A Collection of my Published Short Stories, Nonfiction Essays, and Poems
The Limping Blessing
May 2022
Written in ballad form, this poem tells the Old Testament story of Jacob while alternating between iambic tetrameter and trimeter. This poem won second place in the poetry category of the 2022 Yonah Literary Review. It serves as a companion piece to my nonfiction essay, "Disappointment Cemetery," which also won publication in the same literary magazine and alludes to Jacob's story.
In His Strength
March 2021
This acrostic essay about finding strength to be still won publication in my university's literary magazine, the Yonah Literary Review.
The Secret of West End
March 2021
After touring the mansion at Hardman Farm State Historic Site, I was inspired to write this historical fiction piece loosely based on the story of the Nichols family, the first owners of the house.
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This piece, which explores the treatment of mental health during the Reconstruction Era, won first place in the fiction category in the 2021 Yonah Literary Review.
Our 2004 Gray Honda Odyssey
​Our 2004 Gray Honda Odyssey
March 2019
My Redeemer, Refiner, and Exceeding Great Reward
May 2020
Written during my first semester of college when I was struggling to find my identity, this poem is a praise of God’s character. It won third place in the poetry category in the 2020 Yonah Literary Review.
Disappointment Cemetery
May 2022
In this nonfiction essay I share about broken dreams I've buried during college and how Jesus has met me in the midst of hidden pain. Riddled with symbolism, this essay combines my experiences visiting cemeteries in Ukraine with the biblical story of Jacob.
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This essay won second place in the nonfiction essay category of Truett McConnell University's Creative Writing Competition and was published in the 2022 Yonah Literary Review.
This true story spans 12 years of my life in less than 1,500 words. Each scene takes in my family’s beloved van. This piece won first place in the nonfiction essay category in the 2019 Yonah Literary Review.
This was my first published creative writing piece and it still holds a special place in my heart.
March 2019