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!