Released: May 7, 2026
Chiara Crisafulli awarded Richard Bradford Memorial Creative Writing Scholarship
Santa Fe Community College’s emerging writers and artists were recognized during the Katie Besser Awards celebration hosted by Meow Wolf on May 4. 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.
Richard Bradford Scholarship recipient Chiara Crisafulli with SFCC Foundation Executive Director Kelly A. Marquez
The sixteenth annual winner of Santa Fe Community College Foundation’s was announced at the conclusion of the awards celebration. Chiara Crisafulli will receive the 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.
This year’s Katie Besser Student Award winners by category:
Art
Winner
“Love Is Blind” by Sarah Plaskett
Runners-Up
“Grand Canyon, August 24th 2024” by Luana Fagge Moraes
“Brooklyn NY, November 2nd 2024” by Luana Fagge Moraes
Honorable Mentions
“Running to the sun” by Anna Gove
“Love” by Jordan Merlino
Poetry
Winner
“In the Living Room” by Chiara Crisafulli
Runners-Up
“Moon-Ruin” by A. Drake
“The Weight I Don’t Put Down” by A. Drake
“The Language of Stones” by Joab Gouveia
Honorable Mentions
“Rebirth” by Chiara Crisafulli
“The Personal is Political?” By Jectan Gayten
En Español
Winner
“Ni Una Alma” by Camila Lucero Hernandez
Fiction
Katie Besser Fiction Winner Timothy Trujillo
Winner
“Cycles” by Timothy Trujillo
Runner-Up
“Murder in the Caldera” by Judith White
Honorable Mention
“The Great Meal of the World-Eating Worm” by Sarah Trask
Creative Non-Fiction
Winner
“The Thought I Never Finished” by Camila Lucero Hernandez
Runner-Up
“Oranges” by Hazel Tolleson
Honorable Mention
“Childhood’s End” by Judith White
Academic Essay
Winner
“In the Corridor” by Chiara Crisafulli
Runners-Up
“What Happened When I Stopped Running Away” by Chiara Crisafulli
“Article Review: Basic Needs Insecurity in U.S. Colleges: Human Rights Unfulfilled” by Emily Dwyer
Honorable Mention
“The American Dream” by Timothy Trujillo
The Katie Besser Awards are presented through a collaboration of SFCC’s English and Creative Writing programs and the SFCC Foundation, and with the support of Meow Wolf. The Katie Besser Art & Writing Awards are directed by Genevieve Betts.
Copies of 2026 Accolades. Cover art by Sarah Plaskett
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.
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