VAN BUREN, Maine — The Maine Community College System has announced the winners of its “A Journey Into Writing” Contest.
Thomas Lajoie from Van Buren District Secondary School was selected as a finalist for “A Journey into Writing” Contest, a competition open to all high school juniors and home-schooled students of the same age.
“A Journey into Writing” is designed to encourage and celebrate the creativity of Maine’s next generation of writers. This award is intended to promote and encourage excellence in writing by Maine high school juniors.
Lajoie’s short story “The Mountain” is set atop Mt. Katahdin and depicts a teenage boy’s search for the meaning of life and death through flashbacks that try to justify his father’s sacrifices, actions and death of four years earlier in order to help silence his grief and bring peace to his soul. The judges were Lewis Robinson, Susan Kenney and Bill Roorbach, three distinguished Maine authors. Lajoie’s was one of only nine selected from a 177 works submitted from throughout the state.
He will receive a check for $500 and a plaque designating him as a Finalist for the 2015 Governor’s Young Writer of the Year Award. Bea Pirie, VBDSS English teacher who promoted this writing activity in her classroom, presented Thomas his award at the school’s Academic Banquet Night.
