Spring ‘22 Nā Leo Lele Creative Writing Contest Winners

Travis Antonacci
Fiction 1st place

I grew up on the south shore of Long Island, New York. Two weeks after graduating from high school, I booked a one-way ticket to Kauai to attend KCC. In December 2019, I graduated with my Associates in Science - Creative Media. I’m currently in my last semester at KCC and will be transferring to UH West Oahu in the fall. Some of my favorite authors include Charles Bukowski, Hunter S Thompson, and Ian Flemming. My personal mantra is Come prepared. 

Amanda Johnson
Fiction 2nd place

I started writing for fun when I was in elementary school. I wrote some short stories that didn’t make a lot of sense, but they were fun. In middle school, I started writing and publishing fanfiction and still regularly write it today. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; sometimes an idea will get stuck in my head until I write it down--sometimes with my own made-up characters or sometimes about characters that already exist. Writing has always made me happy, and sometimes my writing makes others feel things, too. When one of my stories manages to move readers, I feel proud to have affected them emotionally.

Brianne Sunada
Fiction 3rd place

I am currently a sophomore at Kauai Community College. I’ve been writing stories since I was about 16. I have published two novels online as well. “Love, Your Victim” is a sneak peek at one of them.

Alexuz Pesantemercado
Non-Fiction1st place

I am in my second year at Kauai Community College. I will be attending University of Hawaii at Mānoa from Fall ‘22 to Spring ‘24 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Exceptional Students and Elementary Education. Growing up, I noticed a lack of multiracial representatives in my schools which drove my interest in diversity. I previously thought that racial and ethnic backgrounds were the foundation of diversity; however, as I continue to learn, I find myself redefining what it means to be diverse. I hope that my emphasis on diversity and acceptance in the classroom will encourage others in and out of my classroom to reflect on the subject and how it is prevalent in their life as well.

Lauryn Tugade
Non-Fiction 2nd place

I am currently a full-time student at KCC and am majoring in Liberal Arts. Some of my hobbies include drawing, listening to K-pop, and watching anime. I decided to write this essay about the harmful effects that Korean beauty standards have on K-pop idols as I am a K-pop fan and have learned a lot about what goes on behind the scenes of the lives of K-pop idols.

Julie Jane Remigio
Non-Fiction 3rd place

I’m 19 years old and was born and raised on Kaua’i. I didn’t start writing until recently. My creative writing class this semester inspired me to journal daily, which is where I discovered the power that writing holds. Now, I write whenever I’m sad, confused, happy, or angry. Writing helps me process my thoughts and emotions when they are too complex to be understood.

Jessica Drent
Poetry 1st place

Born and raised on Kaua’i, I spent my childhood at a Hawaiian charter school where I learned the native language, arts, and culture. Then, I transferred to Kapa’a High School to take early college classes and participate in soccer, cross country, and track. Now, as a senior, I will receive an A.A. Degree in Liberal Arts, an ASC in Mathematics, and a CO in Beekeeping upon my high school graduation. In my free time, I like to paint and play the piano. I just recently took interest in poetry after taking a literature class from KCC. This fall, I will be studying biology and neuroscience at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Julie Jane Remigio
Poetry 2nd Place

I’m 19 years old and was born and raised on Kaua’i. I didn’t start writing until recently. My creative writing class this semester inspired me to journal daily, which is where I discovered the power that writing holds. Now, I write whenever I’m sad, confused, happy, or angry. Writing helps me process my thoughts and emotions when they are too complex to be understood.

Devin Valencia-Pereles
Poetry 3rd Place

Hello! I am currently a sophomore liberal arts major at Kaua’i Community College. Poetry is a hobby of mine, and I’ve been writing since my sophomore year of high school. My poem is about my relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ. I hope reading it will bless you as much as it has blessed me to write it.