Two seniors among 10 Iowans to win top writing award

Linden Terpstra/Staff Writer

Out of 10 total in Iowa, two CFHS seniors have received top honors from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The NCTE, established in 1957, recognizes outstanding student writings from juniors in the US, Canada, and other countries abroad.

After nearly a year-long process, seniors Michelle Redinbaugh and Michael Miller were the two CFHS winners.

The honorees receive an award based on several factors.

“There are several competitions where they submitted several writings, along with an impromptu piece,” NCTE English teacher Michelle Rathe said.

Their junior year, the English teachers read over student’s pieces without names. They then decide on their three favorite essays to move on to the national level.

“Once at the national level, the amount of students chosen is according to the state size, and 10 are picked from the state of Iowa,” Rathe said. “The students are picked based on the structure of their writing and their creativity.”

They had to write their award winning responses in timed sessions. “When I was coming up with the idea, it was very stressful, but I really liked the topic,” Miller said about his impromptu piece. The essay had to be about negative ads in politics, and his was titled ‘Schmuck on the Campaign Trail.’

Redinbaugh took a different approach on her essay. “I gave suggestions about how to improve ads without calling people all the time during the summer,” she said.

Redinbaugh has done a lot to achieve her writing skills. “I am happy that I received it because I have worked really hard these past few years,” she said