George Georges '15, David Lysenko '15, Ellie Politi '14 and Alana Solin '14 are finalists in Bergen Community College's (BCC) 2014 Bergen County Writing Contest - and while they won't know what exactly they've won until the awards ceremony in early June, all four will have their pieces published in the 2014 issue of BCC literary magazine "Pegasus." Entrants have to be a high school junior or senior, and submitted works along this year's theme, "Overcoming Obstacles," in the following categories: The Essay, Short Stories, Poetry Collection or Drama.

On receiving word of his win, George forwarded the email notification to his AP English teacher Brian Kosnik, saying: "Success!!!!! Thank you all so much my wonderful English teachers for encouraging me to submit, helping me choose what to submit, and fostering my growth as a writer!"

As for Mr. Kosnik, he shared some insight on his two student winners:

"George is a formidable intellectual presence in the classroom. He is a perceptive reader who thoroughly relishes analyzing literature, both during discussions and in his essays. His essay writing is rich with refreshing and original ideas that he explains in extensively detailed and clear ways. In addition, George is a very promising creative writer whose forte is poetry. On his own initiative, he elects to meet with me often outside of class in order to share his most recent set of verses, which are usually evocative and poignant. His poems come straight from the heart, and, stylistically, they are marked by George's frequent use of extended metaphor. I am thrilled that BCC judges saw the same talent in George and are acknowledging it, too!"

"Eleanor, or 'Ellie,' was a delight to teach in [my] Gender and Identity class during her junior year, and she continues to be the same in AP English this year. In fact, Ellie seems even more academically courageous as a senior, and look what her bravery resulted in?! A win in the BCC Writing Contest! I'm thrilled that those judges see in Ellie what we at D-E have known all along! Ellie has always been an expressive, analytical writer who is capable of thinking fast on her feet, so to speak, and formulating rapidly and cogently her oral remarks that contain sharpness of insight and complexity of thought - qualities that have always distinguished her essays."

According to his "Literature of the Human Psyche" teacher Diane Christian, "David is a perceptive and intellectual reader and writer; he is a writer who writes with thoughtfulness and depth."

Both her English teacher John Deal and MS/US Librarian and her "Calliope" advisor Steve Petkus had much to say about Alana Solin. "As both a writer and a thinker about writing, Alana Solin is advanced far beyond her years," says Mr. Petkus. "[She] is unafraid to go where her language takes her, and that is often into territory that is at turns scary, quirky, exhilarating, and quietly transcendent."

Mr. Deal echoes this sentiment, saying: "While she occasionally reminds me of other writers—the grotesque humor of Flannery O'Connor comes to mind—ultimately, Alana is just Alana, and the world is a better, and stranger, place because of her wild and prolific creatvity."

All four students will receive their award certificates and prizes - and find out where they ranked in the contest - at the June 5th awards ceremony at BCC's Paramus campus, where they will also have the opportunity to meet BCC faculty and fellow writers from around the county.