Shakera Snelling and Rick Bragg at the UA event for top student writers in the “To Kill a Mockingbird” Essay Contest Download a high-resolution version

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Winners of the seventh annual "To Kill a Mockingbird" Essay Contest were recently honored on campus with a luncheon awards ceremony and reception with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and University of Alabama faculty member Rick Bragg.

Bragg, a professor of writing in UA’s department of journalism, is known for his writing on the South and contemporary America. His most famous work, “All Over but the Shoutin’,” is a critically acclaimed autobiography about growing up in the South. The book is found on the reading lists of universities throughout the country.

There were 71 high school students who won their individual school’s competition. The winners visited UA for a luncheon at Smith Hall Gallery (in the Alabama Museum of Natural History) followed by an awards ceremony.

Shakera Snelling from Bessemer Academy was recognized as the winner of this year's statewide competition for her essay. As the statewide winner, Snelling received $500, and $500 was also awarded to Bessemer Academy.

The essay contest was created to honor "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Harper Lee's induction into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2001.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of America's best-loved novels. It captures the ambiance and conflicts of small-town life in the Deep South during the Depression. Lee, its author and a Monroeville native, is one of the most important contributors to literature of the American South.

Alabama students in grades 9-12 are invited to submit 600-750 word essays reflecting their perceptions on how life has changed in the South from the period depicted in the book. These changes could be positive or negative and could relate to such aspects as natural surroundings, social interactions, childhood experiences or political realities.

Submissions are accepted not only from public and private high school students but also from eligible home-schooled students. Each participating school chooses a winning entry, and a monetary prize is given to each of these winners. A panel of judges from the UA Honors College selects the statewide student winner.

The essay contest is sponsored by the UA Honors College and the Alabama State Department of Education. It is supported by the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Alumni Affairs, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the University Libraries and the University of Alabama Museums.

For more information, contact Lesa Shaul in the UA Honors College at 205/348-5557, lshaul@bama.ua.edu.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.