Student Wins $68,814 Writing Award

Don't let anyone tell you that writing can't be lucrative, even in today's economy. If anyone knows differently, it's 21-year-old William Bruce, a recent graduate of Washington College. In May of 2009, he won the largest literary award in the country exclusively for undergraduates and received a check for $68,814.

Presented every year during the graduation ceremony, the Sophie Kerr Prize is awarded to the graduating senior who demonstrates the greatest ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor. A prolific American writer of the 1930s and '40s, Sophie Kerr bequeathed a trust fund to Washington College in Chestertown, MD and officially created the prize. Despite the declining economy, this year's award was at its highest-ever dollar amount.

According to English Professor Kathryn Moncrief, what really set Bruce's work apart from the 30 other students who submitted portfolios was his range and versatility as a writer. "He tackled three different genres with equal facility," she says.

Says Professor Robert Mooney, Bruce is "a writer who looks at others with empathy and curiosity. He gives a voice to those who are voiceless."

For more information about the award, visit http://english.washcoll.edu/sophiekerrlegacy.

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