Cape Fear Voices/Teen Scene held its 3^rd Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 15, at the WWAY event center.  With Super Hero’s as the event’s theme, teens and seasoned writers alike mingled the night away to great music by Susan Savia and fantastic food presented by Diamond Catering.

Kristie Van Auken, Special Advisor, Workforce Engagement, Division of State Superintendent, NC Department of Public Instruction, was the keynote speaker (see excerpts of her speech on page X.)  Carl Parker, President, Brunswick County Branch #5452, of the NAACP, presented Laura Askue, Journalism Teacher at BC Early College High School, the Educator Award, while Mary Beth Livers, Executive Director, Brunswick Arts Council, and primary event sponsor, presented two teen awards, one for poetry and one for art.

Teen Scene winners included Charlie Sedbrook, 7^th Grade, Leland Middle School, for “Inspiration Within the Horse” in the Non-Fiction/Reportage category. Lily Rae Bradley, 7^th Grade, Leland Middle School for “The Crossroads,” in the Fiction/Creative Writing category. Arabella Ong, 11^th Grade, BC Early College High School, for “One Size Does Not Fit All,” for Reviews and Persuasive Essays.  Arwen Lyonnesse, 11^th Grade, BC Early College High School, for “Window Shopping,” in the Poetry category. Rayna Chew, North Brunswick High School, for “My Love of Art,” in the Art category.

Cape Fear Voices winners included “A Tribute to Tenacity,” by David Hume, III in the Non-Fiction/History category. Paul Paolicelli, for “Folks I Met Along the Way – My Fair Lady,” in the Memories/Personal Essay category. “A Lotto Hope” by Dan Neizmik, in the Poetry category and Karen Phillips Smith for “Best Laid Plans” in the Humor category.

Jan Morgan-Swegle was recognized by Board Chairman, Gerald Decker, with the Founder’s Award for 2022. Mr. Decker commented, “We simply could not have done this without her support and hard work.”

Songwriters Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff expressed the theme of the evening best in the last stanza of their song, “Hero,” that truly applies to all our writers, educators and school administrators.

And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you’ll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
That a hero lies in you
Mmm, that a hero lies in you