Lincoln Park senior a poetry winner in Carnegie Mellon’s MLK Day Writing Contest

Lincoln Park senior Journey Washington’s entry, “My Black, My White,” has been selected as the third place, high school poetry winner in the 20th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Writing Awards at Carnegie Mellon University.

Washington, a health sciences and the arts major, is the daughter of Alisa Green of Beaver Falls.

She will read her piece and receive an award on Monday, January 21, 2019, in Rangos Hall on the second floor in the Cohon University Center at Carnegie Mellon.

Prizes are awarded in four categories: College Poetry and Prose, and High School Poetry and Prose.

The contest received 215 submissions this year, according to Maureen Rolla, administrative coordinator of the MLK Day Writing Awards, who said it was the highest rate of participation in recent years and one of the highest in the program’s 20-year history.

“A record number of 21 high schools were represented, along with a record number of eight colleges and universities. So, it was a very competitive selection process,” Rolla said.

The awards celebration and readings begin at 4:30 p.m. In addition to readings by the prize winners, the event will include musical entertainment and a light dinner. The event is free and open to the public.