Cloverleaf High School senior Victoria Watkins has won first place in the 18^th-annual Wayne College Student Writing Awards with her short story, “The Tale of the Prince and the Orphan.”

With divisions for adults, college students and high school students, the awards seek to encourage and recognize excellence in creative writing in the region, honoring work in the categories of poetry, short story and personal essay. The contest is open to residents and students in Wayne, Holmes and Medina counties, as well as portions of other counties served by Wayne College. This year, the contest received submissions from students in 22 area high schools.

Watkins completed her fantasy-adventure story as part of an assignment in teacher John Carmigiano’s creative writing class at Cloverleaf. The tale is about an orphan who takes her cousin’s place in battle, where she meets a prince. Circumstances keep them apart, but in the end, love wins the day.

“I like my stories to end happy,” Watkins said. “It was a fun story to write. I didn’t think it would win anything!” she added with a laugh.

And that’s her best advice to other student writers, she said:  Have fun  – don’t think of it as an assignment.

Watkins, who will major in microbiology and minor in forensic science or biochemistry at Ohio State University, said she’s always loved to write. She often has ideas for stories, but rarely the time to pursue them, given her daily line-up of classes, work, sports and activities. When she does sit down to write, she typically doesn’t follow an outline or have a preconceived notion of where the story is going to go.

“I like to write it and let the story tell itself,” she said. 

Aiming for a career as a researcher – potentially in forensic science for the FBI or in the private sector – her creative writing skills have made her science writing better, she said, adding that the two styles complement each other.

Watkins will receive her award, which comes with a $100 prize, at the 15th-annual Wayne College Writers Workshop on April 7.

In her Cloverleaf High School career, Watkins has been active in varsity soccer, HUDDLE, Key Club, McPals, and this year is vice-president of the National Honor Society. Outside of school, Watkins plays club soccer and works at Ohio Station Outlets. A resident of Guilford Township, her parents are David and Doris Watkins. 

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