Released: May 14, 2025
Stacey Foiles received Richard Bradford Memorial Creative Writing Scholarship
SFCC 2025 Accolades
Santa Fe Community College’s emerging writers and artists were recognized during the Katie Besser Art & Writing Awards celebration hosted by Meow Wolf on May 5. The awards were named for the late Katie Besser in recognition of her love of literature and creative writing. The event celebrated students’ creative expression through writing, photography and media arts. Writers representing SFCC’s diverse community read from their winning works.
The fifteenth annual winner of Santa Fe Community College Foundation’s Richard Bradford Memorial Creative Writing Scholarship was announced at the conclusion of the awards celebration. Stacey Foiles will receive the $1,000 scholarship. Named for the author of the 1968 classic Red Sky at Morning, the scholarship was initiated by author Michael McGarrity, the late arts advocate Charmay Allred and former Santa Fe City Councilwoman Rebecca Wurzburger.
These are this year’s Katie Besser Art & Writing Award winners by category:
Image
Winner & Cover Image
Carolyn Cooper – “Aspens in Early Autumn”
Runner-Up
Lynae Witt – “Morning Dew”
Honorable Mention
Carolyn Cooper – “Land of Enchantment”
Poetry
Winner
Stacey Foiles – “Fallen Leaf”
Runners-Up
Rachel Weber – “Watermelon Cotton Candy”
Stacey Foiles – “George at Agnew State Hospital in 1964”
Bonnie Stack – “Childhood Home”
Honorable Mentions
Rachel Weber – “The Wild West”
Camila Lucero – “Feathers in Motion”
Loki-Anthony Honey – “Gaia’s Patterns”
Fiction
SFCC Katie Besser Award winner Judith White 2025
Winner
Judith White – “Mystic Salvation”
Runners-Up
Tony Blankenship – “Rick the Recycled Guru”
Rodney DeHerrera – “The Bunker”
Honorable Mentions
Judith White – “Variations upon Consciousness”
Callie Elkins – “Gorgon”
Creative Non-Fiction
Winner
Stacey Foiles – “First Date?”
Runners-Up
Judith White – “Mama Disappearing”
SFCC Katie Besser Award winner Tony Blankenship 2025
Tony Blankenship – “Goodbye Sparks, Nevada, Goodbye”
Honorable Mentions
Rachel Weber – “Ohio: One Season of Life”
Judith White – “The First Time I Ever Saw This Place”
The Katie Besser Art & Writing Awards are presented through a collaboration of SFCC’s English and Creative Writing programs, SFCC’s Media Arts department, SFCC Foundation, and with the support of Meow Wolf. The Katie Besser Art & Writing Awards are directed by Genevieve Betts.
Note: A copy of “Accolades,” which includes the winning entries, is available to download here.
For more than 40 years Santa Fe Community College has been the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs.
A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.
Visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000.
Follow us: Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
