Cross country, show choir, and cheerleading, along with a plethora of school clubs and plays, all reside on the resume of one Wahlert freshman. But recently, Catherine Curtiss, ‘21, has added the title of writing contest winner to her long list of accomplishments.

“I’ve kind of always liked writing,” mused Curtiss. “It has always been something fun to do!”

Curtiss recently entered the Belin-Blank Scholastic Art and Writing Contest held in Iowa City. The contest honored over 1500 students throughout the Midwest, but other branches of the contest recognize winners across the country.  Her short story, “There Is No Window In My Room”, won a Gold Key award.

“There were three types of recognized places; Honorable Mention, Silver Key, and Gold Key,” stated Curtiss with a small smile. “I won a Gold Key. This was the first competition I’ve ever entered and to do so well was shocking.”

The contest accepted a variety of category submissions, including photography, personal memoir, and poetry. Curtiss entered the short story contest.

“The contest had many categories, but I entered the short story one,” explained Catherine. “There was a 2,500-word max, which I hated because I don’t like to limit my words.”

Her story took on the subject of a person in the transition from life to death, which can be a difficult subject to talk about.

Curtiss reflected on why she loves to write, saying, “I’m not really good at talking or doing a speech, but I feel that writing is a different way to convey those words.”

Curtiss doesn’t know if writing will be something she pursues in the future, but the experience has brought her more confidence.

When it comes to advice for fellow writers, Curtiss simply states, “Do what you want and try hard. The effort just may pay off!”