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Seitz Creative Writing Scholarship 

The English Department is proud to coordinate the annual Seitz Creative Writing Scholarship. The scholarship was created by Jim and Melissa Seitz to acknowledge excellence in the writing of poetry and/or fiction. A graduate of SVSU, Melissa Seitz is a retired member of the English Department much respected by her students and colleagues.

 

The scholarship recipient typically receives $1,000, with the award split between the upcoming fall and winter semesters. The award may be applied to tuition and books.

 

To be eligible, a candidate must meet the following requirements:

·         Be of junior or senior class standing

·         Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher (We do not round up when considering GPA.)

·         Be pursuing a major or minor in creative writing

·         Have completed English 261, and be currently enrolled in or have completed English 305 and/or English 306, or their equivalents

 

To apply, students should submit the following:

·         A letter of application

·         A copy of their transcripts

·         A 1,500-word essay describing their reasons for selecting creative writing as a major or minor, and explaining their goals with respect to the field of creative writing

·         A creative writing portfolio that will include one of the following:

q  Eight to ten poems

q  Four to five short stories, two of which may be flash fiction

q  Four to five poems and two to three short stories, one of which may be flash fiction

 

The essay will be judged on its technical merit and content. The creative writing portfolio will be judged on its innovative use of form and language, its cultural relevancy, its ability to address the subject matter intelligently, and its clear development of the elements of poetry and/or fiction. The committee, comprised of three members of the English Department, hopes to select the recipient by April 1, 2012.

 

The application deadline for the 2012-2013 scholarship is March 5, 2012. Application materials should be submitted to Christopher Giroux, SVSU, 7400 Bay Road, 355 Brown Hall, University Center, MI 48710. Students with questions should feel free to contact him at 989.964.4914 or cgiroux@svsu.edu.

 

We encourage our creative writing majors and minors to take advantage of this exciting opportunity and congratulate our past winners:

 

·         Danielle Rohac (2011-12)

·         Kirsten McIlvenna (2010-2011)

·         Blair Giesken (2008-09)

·         Matthew Falk (2007-08)