Berks students awarded in Spanish poetry-writing contest

Two Penn State Berks students received awards in the fifth annual Spanish Poetry Writing Contest sponsored by the Latin American Cultural Center (LACC) of Lancaster. Students from Lancaster, Reading and Harrisburg in grades six to eight, nine to 12, and university undergraduates wrote original poems in Spanish paying homage to their mothers. From the 247 submissions, Penn State Berks captured the two of the top prizes in the university category.

The university winners study Spanish at Penn State Berks. They include senior Kira Kuzmenchuk, who won first place with "Dos mamás conectadas (Two Mothers Connected)” and junior Brian London who came in third with “Mi regalo importante (My importatant gift).” The first place poem in each category will be published in La Voz Latina and Palo magazine.

Prizes will be awarded during a reception on Thursday, April 19. University winners will be recognized at 6 p.m. at the Candy Factory, 342 North Queen Street (rear), Lancaster. This contest is one of many cultural events that LACC offers to promote and maintain the rich Latin American heritage and culture of South Central PA. 

For more information, contact Donna Chambers, lecturer in Spanish at Penn State Berks, at 610-396-6332 or via email at [email protected].