Villarruel Graduates With Outstanding Thesis

Cecilia Villarruel is graduating Roosevelt's MFA program with a burst of excellence! This past Wednesday, at Research Day in Schaumburg, she was presented the Outstanding Thesis Award for Creative Work for her thesis, Sway, a book based on her experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa. After giving kind words for Cecilia and her project, Scott Blackwood presented the auspicious award.

Because of her academic excellence,Cecilia will be carrying the College of Arts and Sciences banner at Graduation on April 30th, leading in all of the CAS graduate students!  A great honor, no doubt, but the best part, says Cecilia, is that her parents will be able to spot her easily! Congratulations, Cecelia!  

Oyez Review's Last Reading of the Spring Semester at Women and Children First

The editors of Oyez Review are having their final reading of the semester, tomorrow, March 25th, at the historic Women and Children First Bookstore!  Roosevelt MFA student, Cecillia Villarruel, published in the latest issue of Oyez, will be reading fiction and non-fiction!  Editors from the magazine will be reading their favorite selections!  People will be smiling.  It will be wonderful.

This is your last chance to hear some great selections from the Spring 2011 issue, or, as the editors have affectionately called it, issue #38!  That's this Friday, March 25th, at 7:00 pm.

Women and Children First can be found at 5233 N. Clark Street, in Andersonville.

Villarruel's Short Story Published in Pyrta

Cecilia Villarruel's short story, 50 Cent Accomplishments, has been published in the spring issue of Pyrta.  Pyrta is an online literary journal that aims to be a vibrant multicultural space.  They are based in Meghalaya, India.  Meghalaya means The Abode of Clouds.  

Cecilla has had work published in our very own Oyez Review, as well as CAF Review and Gallery 37's anthologies, Alchemy and Paper Atrium, but this is the first online magazine she's submitted to and her work has already been accepted!  Amazing!  Appropriately enough, she will be travelling through India this summer and working there in the fall, and could very well find herself in Meghalaya, walking in the clouds.

Check out her story, today, now, here: http://www.pyrtajournal.com/

Cecilia Villarruel wins Vicente Fernandez Tour Scholarship

"No, ma! It's a Masters in Fine Arts not a Masters in Famished Artists!"-anon MFA student.

Calm your parents down with this tale of success: MFA candidate Cecilia Villarruel won the Vicente Fernandez Tour Scholarship to the tune of $2,500. Villarruel accepted her award in front of a fully packed Allstate Arena and a mariachi band! So cool!

Vincente Fernandez (pictured above with Villarruel and her mother) is known as "El rey de la cancion ranchera," the king of the ranchera song, throughout the Latino world. He has recorded over 50 albums and appeared in dozens of movies. Although he started his career playing for tips on the streets, he has become a Mexican cultural icon.

This scholarship is meant to support Latino artists. The honor is especially meaningful to Villarruel, whose parent's are from Jalisco, Mexico, just like Fernandez! Keep at it artists, we too can go places like Fernanez and Villarruel.

Three cheers go out to Cecilia Villarruel, who won second place and $1,500 in The Union League Civic & Arts Foundation Creative Writing Competition. This not-for-profit organization supports young artists and encourages them to improve their craft and serve as role models for future generations. The Union League Club is committed to fostering a sense of community in the Chicago area, and their initiatives nurture civic engagement and the appreciation for community ties.

We believe that both Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt would have been proud of Villarruel's dedication to art and social justice. She will be honored at a Union League award ceremony on November 15th. Keep up the good work, writing and otherwise.

Catch Cecy on Radio Arte this Tuesday

Because of her recent writing and Peace Corps community service awards, MFA candidate Cecilia Villarruel was asked to do a radio interview to talk about writing and volunteer work, and writing about volunteer work. The interview will air on October 5th on Radio Arte. Tune in on 90.5 FM at 6 p.m.

According to its website,Radio Arte, 90.5 WRTE-FM, is a Latino-owned, bilingual, youth-driven public radio station that works to advance the voices of our multi-layered society. Radio Arte does this by promoting socially conscious journalism and creating programming that showcases music, issues, and events that are not featured prominently by mainstream media. One of their guiding principals is to support Latinos as they become resources to the larger community through their involvement in media and civic engagement.

image by radio escola vix

Villarruel sweeps summer with recognition

A huge congrats are in order for MFA student Cecilia Villarruel, who won fourth place and $2,000 at nationals for the National Society of Arts and Letters Short Story Competition.

She also recently won the Peace Corps Franklin H. Williams Award, which is explained here. Only 92 other outstanding returned volunteers have won it, and Villarruel is "super excited to be part of the next group of winners." Peace Corps is flying Cecy to Washington D.C. in September for the awards ceremony.

Phenomenal!

Villarruel wins regional NSAL competition

Roosevelt MFA student Cecilia Villarruel has won the National Society for Arts and Letters Central IL Chapter Literature Competition on Short Story Writing! In addition to winning first prize and $1,000 Cecy will be flown to Florida in May to compete in the national competition, including a first prize of $10,000.

Judges for the NSAL Central IL Chapter competition included Ann Lowry, Elaine Fowler Palencia, Sally Foster Wallace and Ninth Letter Founding Editor, Philip Graham. The national competition judges are William Luvaas, Larry Leichman, Lauren Groff and Marianna Wiggins.

Congrats Cecy!!! We'll be rooting for you in May!