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By Lindsay Collier

Oct 8, 2025 – Over the last two years, I’ve had the pleasure of helping prepare and run Celebrating Our Own. Celebrating Our Own is an annual event held in the Wick Poetry Corner on the second floor of the 5X���� Library. Each year we gather and share our work in celebration of the scholarship winners and larger creative writing community. It has become a great space to learn about the scholarships and other opportunities available through the Wick Poetry Center. It is also a way to encourage students to submit their poetry once the scholarships open each November 1st. Altogether, the event is partly about the honor and financial award that come with being recognized and partly about coming together as members of the creative writing community.

This year was particularly meaningful for me because I was a scholarship recipient. I won the Maj Ragain Scholarship, which provides the opportunity to host writing workshops for the Kent State community. This scholarship in particular celebrates community, mentorship and how writing can bridge the gap between different perspectives, allowing growth and understanding.

Before the event began, we transformed the cozy Wick Poetry Corner from a quiet study space to a small stage. We rearranged chairs and tested the microphone as the refreshments arrived. About 20 or so people attended, creating a comfortable atmosphere. Last year, I struggled deeply with stage fright. It is something that I had never realized would resurface after standing in front of classrooms for the past five years. However, this year I felt more confident and comfortable as the time approached.

Charlie Malone, the Assistant Director of the Wick Poetry Center, opened the event with a speech about the overwhelming community found through poetry. He shared two quotes from Mary Oliver that framed the evening: one reminding us that “poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold,” and another describing poetry as “an empty basket; you put your life into it and make something out of that.” It was a reminder of what Wick stands for.

After Charlie’s introduction, I gave a background of my scholarship and what it meant to me, then read my scholarship poem (for the first time ever) “To Spontaneously Combust.” Once I was completed, I continued to introduce other scholarship winners: Angelia Kellhoffer, Faith Angiocchi, Hannah Rieger, Rhys Wright, Jeremy Jones, Sage Hardiman and Ryan Spalding. It was meaningful to hear their stories of encouragement, resilience and community. Here is a little bit about each winner and award:

The Stan and Tom Wick Undergraduate Poetry Scholarship recognized three student poets whose work uplifts poetry. Angelia Kellhoffer was awarded the award, for a deeply personal piece. “It felt surreal to be recognized for a piece of writing that embodied one of the rawest moments of my life,” Angelia continued, “I felt so seen among other poets and writers who advocate expressing themselves so openly.”

The second recipient, Faith Angiocchi also read during the event. Followed by Hannah Reiger. Hannah’s poem “The Final Birthday” was a tribute to her late grandfather. “This poem is in memoriam of him and his legacy,” she said. “This scholarship means so much to me… Before receiving it, I was just writing for fun… [now,] I have the confidence and security in myself to fully express myself in writing.”

Also recognized during the event was Rhys Wright, the recipient of the Thomas and Mimi Freeman Family Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship is in memory of Thomas Michael Freeman, a Kent State graduate. This scholarship is awarded to students who share his love of nature and his deep gratitude for all life.

Jeremy Jones was the winner of the Maggie Anderson Endowment Fund and was also there to share his work. This fund was created by Maggie Anderson, poet, professor emerita of English and the founding director of the Wick Poetry Center. Her gift honors the role that travel plays in the life of a writer and celebrates her lasting legacy in Kent’s poetry community.

A full-circle moment was shared by Sage Hardiman, a graduating senior, who received the Wick Poetry Center Honors Scholarship. “My freshman year, I went to the event as a stranger to Wick… [now] in my final semester, I was invited to read in front of [so] many people [who] are no longer strangers and are instead now friends,” Sage said. Sage’s winning poem, “Sharpie Sharpended Blades” explored a pair of scissors in their mother’s garage that had their deadname etched into them. “The poem is about the grief of how, no matter how hard I try, my deadname always finds a way to make itself known like a scab coming back to haunt me.” Sage also read “I am Everything Said About Me” during the open mic — a poem that reclaims transphobic language as defiant affirmations. “What if I am rewriting reality? Isn't it great to have the power to change the world?

For many scholarship recipients, these awards are not only financial help, but rather a chance to show their growth. “Trying to write the same poem freshman year would not have had the same skill level and I’m really proud to see how far I’ve come,” Sage said. Sage also emphasized how crucial Wick has been in their development as a poet. “Wick Weekly has been especially helpful by allowing me to turn poetry into a weekly habit… I’ve steadily watched my work get better as the semesters go by.”

Then I ended the scholarship portion of the evening by thanking the families and donors who make these opportunities possible for students. Since 1984, the Wick Poetry Center has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships to students, supporting and celebrating their creative work. These awards are not only gifts, but investments into Kent State’s artistic community, providing students with the opportunity of amazing experiences, including programs like the Florence study abroad experience.

After the formal readings were completed, we moved into the open mic portion, led by Sergio Roper.

Reflecting on the evening, I’m reminded about the special poetry community that surrounds Kent. As Hannah puts it, “The way people in our community contribute consistently to make everyone feel seen, heard and supported… it cultivates such a safe space to grow.” That’s just what Wick’s mission has always been — not just an opportunity to write or even perform, but rather creating a space where it is safe to grow as a poet, but more importantly as a human.

To any students considering applying for a Wick scholarship this year, take the advice from the winners. “Just go for it,” Hannah continued, “you never know who will connect with [your work].” Angelia echoed: “Write for yourself… you’re never alone in writing when there are experiences shared.” And from Sage, “Check the deadlines! Write them down, put them on your phone.... It would be a shame [to miss] this opportunity.”

The evening serves as a reminder that poetry is not always about the words, but rather the people who gather together to listen, to share, to grow, and to learn about the human experience.