2023-24 Innovate Winners

Innovate is honored to announce ACC’s 2023-24 winners of the League for Innovation Student Literary Award.

Short Stories

1st Place: “To Build a Glasshouse” by Jessica Awada
2nd Place: “Among the Shades of Áine” by Benjamin Kajs
3rd Place: “The Boy Named Quiet and the House of Rats” by Zane Duzant

Honorable Mentions Short Stories

Talia” by Jennifer St. George
The View Between Villages” by London Reynolds
Adulting” by Isabella McLean-Turner

Special Mentions Short Stories

False The Prophet” by Brighton Hibler
Minor Inconveniences” by Olivia Forte

Poetry

1st Place: “A Ghazal For MAANG Zaddies” by Divya Goruganthu
2nd Place: “Sweetness” by Kayla Gross
3rd Place: “The Door Isn’t Wide Enough” by David Gerber

Honorable Mentions Poems

Immigrant Ambition” by Shada Essaid
Numb November Broken Bus Believer” by Nara Yoo
The Wrong Shade of Make-Up” by Kelda Harrison
A Tech Bro Overthinks” by Divya Goruganthu

Special Mentions Poems

Voice of Courage: Sophie Cruz” by Michelle Mendoza
Requiem” by Benjamin Kajs
Hospital” by Perla Ramirez
On The Next Go Around” by Coral Brundige
Imagine” by Emmalynne Arita

Nature-themed

Washed-Up” by Divya Goruganthu
Requiem” by Benjamin Kajs
Rose of Thorns” by Ryan Rodriguez
My Relationship to Nature” by Suresh Neupane


Congratulations to our winners! Thanks to the creative team behind Innovate and to our panel of readers. Most of all, thanks to our talented students!