The awards ceremony marked the closing of the second Language Week celebration at Sagrado.
By Institutional Communications
The Language Center held its 4th Literary Contest as part of the celebration of Language Week at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. The contest, which also coincided with World Book Day, introduced a new category, “Microfiction in a Foreign Language,” during this year’s awards ceremony.
The addition of this category expands participation to include submissions in French and Portuguese, joining the existing categories of Essay, Microfiction, and Poetry—the latter being the category with the highest number of entries this year.
Dr. Richard Rivera Cardona, language specialist at the Language Center, along with Academic Leader of Languages Karla Ayala Lebrón and Language Center Manager Axell Kopka Pibernus, emphasized the initiative’s goal of strengthening the practice of writing through this platform. This objective reflects the Language Center’s role as a key space which all students come in contact with when taking courses in the communication component. In addition, the center offers guidance in writing and editing assignments and projects.
Kopka Pibernus, for his part, underscored the importance of this literary exchange space, noting that “languages are lived and transformed through expression,” adding that they open possibilities to connect with other cultural realities.
For the Essay, Microfiction, and Poetry categories, the judging panel included Dr. Ana-Loreanne Colón, Dr. Naida García Crespo, Prof. Yasmarie Hernández González, and Prof. Emanuelle Soto Ríos. Meanwhile, the panel for the Microfiction in a Foreign Language category was composed of Prof. José Rivera González and Prof. Bernice Rivera Berrocal.
The winners of the contest were as follows:
Essay
- First Place: Love in Social Media, by Arecci Carrillo Contreras
- Second Place: Un Puerto Rico sin puertorriqueños: Land, Housing, and Displacement on the Island, by Bryan Álvarez
- Third Place: Amar al prójimo, ¿hasta dónde?, by Liz López Torres
Microfiction
- First Place: El último abrazo, by Jeslian Rolón Maldonado
- Second Place: Hazelnut, by Nadia Rivera Marrero
- Third Place: #trick, by Ian Tanier López Pérez
Poetry
- First Place: Catorce minutos, by Yudirka Manzueta
- Second Place: A Body That Isn’t Mine, by Venus Güivas Estrada
- Third Place: You’re Not From Around Here, Are You?, by Angélica Murillo Fernández
Microfiction in a Foreign Language
- First Place: Rostro no fundo, by Johamy Santiago Rosario
- Second Place: Nous Sofiane, by Laura Pérez Porrata
- Third Place: É falso ou verdadeiro, by Havibeh Wheeler Díaz
The contest, which also coincided with Library Week, concluded with an open mic session and a call for all students to continue cultivating writing as a means of both individual and cultural expression.
Beyond this celebration, the Language Center remains available year-round, offering services to develop communication skills, including workshops, coaching sessions, and Café Lingüístico—a series of informal gatherings where participants practice English, French, and Portuguese in a culturally diverse environment. Students interested in learning more about the center’s services can visit Sagrado’s website.