?Central Bucks West Junior Wins 2nd Place In Short Fiction Contest

NEWTOWN, PA ? Sara Lueck, a junior at Central Bucks West High School, has won second place in the 2025 Bucks County Community College's Short Fiction Contest for her work, "In The Bleak Midwinter."

Dr. Cecile Kandl Anderson of the college?s School of Language and Literature, which runs the contest, made the final selections. The winners will receive certificates and awards of $200, $100, and $50,
respectively.

Pennsbury senior Olivia Beno won first place in the contest for her story, "The Lake," while Sophie Ogden of Pennridge High School won third place for "On the Corner of Turpin and Thistledown.?

Anderson noted that Beno?s story, ?The Lake,? was ??rich in sensory detail, creating a sense of immediacy as the reader follows along with the narrator?s journey.

?Childhood fears juxtapose disappointment as the narrator worries about disappointing someone they love,? Anderson wrote of the first-prize entry. ?In this compelling narrative we are treated to a series of events that lead to a memorable conclusion. Indeed, the reader witnesses an emotional journey that is as compelling as it is profound.?

Lueck?s story, ?In the Bleak Midwinter,? follows a protagonist caught in a blizzard who struggles with a lack of self-worth even as he tries to save his life.

?His salvation, and his ability to connect with others, comes from an unexpected source,? Anderson noted. ?Well-crafted details create an experience wherein the reader feels like they, too, are trapped in the snow. Rich imagery and memorable characterization demonstrate the author?s ability to spin a tale that is certainly worthy of recognition.?

Ogden?s story, ?On the Corner of Turpin and Thistledown,? is about a magical building that a woman returns to throughout her life.

?We see how beautifully elevated language, which recalls Austen, addresses the reader rather formally,? Anderson noted. ?The author demonstrates a deft ability to move the character throughout her life, from young womanhood, to newlywed, to mother, to widow. Additionally, the story brilliantly considers how a neighborhood evolves over a generation ? or more.?

Bucks County Community College?s School of Language and Literature runs two short fiction contests each spring: one for high school students and one for Bucks County residents 18 and older. For more information, contact the contest coordinator Professor Elizabeth Luciano at Elizabeth.Luciano@bucks.edu .