UIC Student Awarded 2015 Poetry Prize by Academy of American Poets

Underwood International College (UIC) student Hedgie Choi was awarded a 2015 University and College Poetry Prize by the Academy of American Poets for her poem “Rosa.” A second UIC student, Lee Hey-joo, received an Honorable Mention for the poem “Women, Tears, and Fire.”

The Academy of American Poets was established in 1934, and it promotes poetry appreciation through activities such as National Poetry Month, the website Poets.org, American Poets magazine, educational support for poetry teachers, and several large poetry contests. The University and College Poetry Prize program, which was created in 1955, today includes more than 200 schools in the United States.

UIC/Yonsei is the only non-American institution to be part of the Academy’s program. Since 2011, UIC and Yonsei’s Department of English Language and Literature have administered the program, and in that time, several UIC students have been prize recipients. This year, student contestants submitted three poems written in English. The entries were then judged by Professors Loren Goodman, Dustin Hellberg, and Kelly Walsh. For her achievement, Hedgie Choi received a cash prize and congratulatory letter from the Academy. She will also be recorded in the Academy’s Annual Report.