Dennis Vogen takes first place with “Mother Hand”
The results are in for the DCTC Student Writing Competition 2025! Sponsored by the DCTC Foundation and managed by Creative Arts and Writing Club, the competition was open to all current students at Dakota County Technical College.
Challenged to write a 500–3,000-word personal essay or fictional story about self-growth, DCTC students submitted nearly 20 stories and essays.
Dennis Vogen, Graphic Design major, took first place with his work, “Mother Hand.” Sheriden Nkwanyuo, Interior Design and Web Design major, took second place with her work, “Lifeless Doll.” Matthew Johnson, Construction Management major, took third place with his work, “Falling Into a New Outlook.”
Dennis will receive a $600 scholarship award for his first-place finish plus a $50 voucher from the DCTC Bookstore. Sheridan will receive a $300 award plus a $40 voucher. Matthew will receive a $100 award plus a $30 voucher.
“A sheep’s guide to walking with wolves” by Sophia Collins-Lundebrek, “The Obsessive Adventure” by Adrianna Thomas, and “Bus Station Purgatory” by Sylvia Baird received honorable-mention recognition.
The competition was judged by Wes Jorde, philosophy faculty, Joe Campbell, English faculty, and Chris Hayes, senior writer and photographer, DCTC and Inver Hills Strategic Marketing and Communications.
Writer spotlight: Dennis Vogen
Dennis Vogen | Photo credit: Cori Miller
“Mother Hand”
1st Prize DCTC Student Writing Competition 2025
$600 scholarship + $50 DCTC Bookstore voucher
Age: 39
Hometown: Born in Minneapolis and raised in Faribault, Minnesota
Current residence: Burnsville, Minnesota
High school and year graduated: Faribault High School, Class of 2003
Major and degree earning at DCTC: Graphic Design Technology
Extracurricular activities and clubs at DCTC: Creative Arts and Writing Club, Phi Theta Kappa
DCTC graduation date: 2026
Transfer plans after DCTC: None currently
Career plans: Creative field
Pastimes and hobbies: Writing, reading, playing music, loving his Boston terrier, Marvel, pop culture nerd
Author website: The Den: Dennis Vogen’s Official Website and Blog
Dennis Vogen • Q&A
What do you like most about writing?
Everything. It’s what I’m most passionate about. Since I was a kid, I’ve been a storyteller. I very much treat my writing as art, like painting or music. It’s how I express myself most clearly and fully and it’s an essential piece of who I am.
Who is your favorite writer and why?
Oof! I’m actually a big comic book fan, so a lot of my favorite writers are comic writers, like Brian K. Vaughan and Tom King. For fiction, it’s an easy answer to say Stephen King (because he’s that good) and his book On Writing is one of my favorites. There’s also a nonfiction writer named Brian Klaas whose work I adore; I could not recommend his book Fluke more.
What is your top goal as a writer?
I’ve self-published 13 books and graphic novels over the past decade and do a lot of conventions and events, so I’ve already met a lot of my writer goals! But I would love to have a book published by a major publishing house someday, and also see some of my work adapted to other media. Who wouldn’t want to see their words on the big screen?
“Mother Hand” excerpt
In the essay “Mother Tongue,” author Amy Tan details her relationship with her mother. She describes their mutual love of language, their differences in ability and expression, and admits that, when she was younger, her Chinese mother’s “limited” use of the English language limited Amy’s perception of her. Amy grew to realize how wrong she was.
I related deeply to this piece: my parents are deaf, both used American Sign Language, and my own perception of my mom could be shuttered when she was, in reality, one of the brightest, funniest, and most creative people I have ever known.
I felt like Amy got me from the first sentence. She shares immediately that she is “not a scholar of English or literature,” followed by a declaration: “I am a writer.” I, too, am a writer, someone who thinks about words obsessively and loves the world of language. Amy talks about her many “different Englishes” and how she uses them all; my mom used her hands beautifully to communicate, teaching me how to do the same, giving me one of my Englishes.
The way we speak changes depending on who we’re speaking to; Amy realized this while giving a speech she had given many times before, this time with her mother in the room. I had and have a hard time using ASL and speaking simultaneously; they are not the same, and their linguistic overlap creates a cognitive dissonance that’s difficult to reconcile, if not impossible for me.
Writer spotlight: Sheriden Nkwanyuo
Sheriden Nkwanyuo
“A Lifeless Doll”
2nd Prize DCTC Student Writing Competition
$300 scholarship + $40 DCTC Bookstore voucher
Age: 21
Hometown: Reana del Rojale, Udine, Italy
Current residence: Lonsdale, Minnesota
High school and year graduated: Liceo Artistico Statale G. Sello, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, Class of 2022
Major and degree earning at DCTC: Interior Design A.A.S. and Web Design certificate
Transfer plans after DCTC: N/A
Career plans: Residential interior design or entertainment field
Pastimes and hobbies: Baking, reading, drawing, and biking on trails
Sheriden Nkwanyuo • Q & A
What do you like most about writing?
Writing for me is a form of release. I feel free when I’m writing and the world around me cancels itself out, and it’s just me and my thoughts taking space on paper.
Who is your favorite writer and why?
One of my favorite writers growing up in Italy was Chiara Gamberale. She is an author, television host, and journalist. She is known for her emotionally rich and introspective novels, which made me a fan of hers. Her storytelling is so captivating to me, and it feels so intimate, it makes you reflect. The way she is so emotionally insightful with her characters and herself in her novels is so beautiful. My favorite book of hers is Per Dieci Minuti (For Ten Minutes).
What is your top goal as a writer?
My goal is to release a semi-autobiographical book portraying my emotions, with the goal of getting it animated. It has always been a little goal of mine, but I never took it seriously. I thought I was not capable of producing such content, until I won this award. It gave me some hope in my abilities as a writer and the courage to not give up on my dreams. I want to be an example to other girls like me who suppressed their emotions. I want to be a light of hope, that it will get better.
“A Lifeless Doll” excerpt
I never really thought about my mental health. I knew I felt different, that certain things affected me more than they should, but I convinced myself that it was normal. That I was normal. High school, however, had other plans.
At first, I thought the discomfort was just a natural part of growing up. Moving from my small town into a bigger environment should have been exciting. At first, it was I felt like a grown-up, finally stepping into the world on my own. But soon, it became overwhelming. The noise, the crowds, the expectation to navigate everything alone—it all hit me at once. Still, I told myself I was fine. I had spent years ignoring the weight in my chest, pushing past the tightness in my throat, pretending the ringing in my ears wasn’t real.
Why should high school be any different?
But it was different.
I started noticing how much effort it took to do things that seemed easy for everyone else. Speaking up in class, making friends, even just walking into a room full of people—all of it felt like an invisible test that I kept failing every time. I wasn’t just shy; I was afraid. Afraid of saying something stupid, afraid of looking out of place, afraid of drawing too much attention, or, worse, none at all. So I withdrew.
I found ways to avoid group discussions and sat in the front of the classroom—isolated, not by choice, but because of my eyesight. I took shorter routes in the hallway just to avoid brushing past too many people. At the time, I thought I was protecting myself. I didn’t realize I was only making things worse.
Then, 2021 came, and everything fell apart.
Writer spotlight: Matthew Johnson
“Falling Into a New Outlook”
3rd Prize DCTC Student Writing Competition 2025
$100 scholarship + $30 DCTC Bookstore voucher
Age: 37
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
Current residence: Portage, Wisconsin
Major and degree earning at DCTC: Construction Management A.S
Extracurricular activities and clubs at DCTC: N/A
Transfer plans after DCTC: Transferring to a Minnesota State school to finish getting his bachelor’s degree
Career plans: Move into the role of a project manager
Pastimes and hobbies: Fishing, hunting, and riding his motorcycle along with taking trips with his daughter
Matthew Johnson • Q & A
What do you like most about writing?
I like the freedom to express yourself and to put your voice out for others to read.
Who is your favorite writer and why?
Probably Stephen King. I enjoy his style of writing and the stories that he comes up with.
What is your top goal as a writer?
I just enjoy writing, I don’t really have a goal with it. I enjoy expressing myself and telling stories.
“Falling Into a New Outlook” excerpt
It felt as though I had been punched in the stomach as I opened the door to my hotel room, and my breath was taken away by the air on that exceptionally cold February morning. It was the kind of day where you immediately felt your skin burn as the wind kissed any part of your body left bare. I headed to the truck to make my way toward the job site and start another long day.
We stopped at the gas station to get what we needed for the day: some food, energy drinks, gas, and cigarettes; the only things that seem to keep a railroader alive are nicotine, caffeine, and gas station burritos. As we made our way to the bridge, the silence in the truck was eerie; maybe it was because it was Monday, maybe it was the vice squeezing our heads from the weekend-long drinking contest, but something was certainly strange in the truck that morning.
As we pulled up to the bridge, everyone let out a big sigh of regret for the weekend of drinking because we knew today was the day we had been waiting for, the day that we had to do our big window, the day that was going to be the longest day of the job. Little did we know it was going to turn into a bigger headache and longer day than any of us could have anticipated.
I staggered out of the truck, slamming the last of the energy drink I had started on the way to work, made my way over to the boss, and sat there, shielding my eyes from the glare of the morning sun beaming into the icy mirror of snow at my feet. I did my best to pay attention to the briefing, although, to be honest, I ignored most of it and only listened when they were going to stop running trains so we could do the work that needed to be done.
As the briefing finished up we all made our way down to the bridge so we could get things set up and ready for when our time to shine came. The roar of the engines starting seems more deafening when you know you are about to work harder than you ever should, but there is something about the smell of diesel 20 smoke on a crisp morning that helps you get your bearings and know that it is time to quit being a baby.
Judge perspectives
“This year’s entries were diverse in voice, point of view, and genre. I learned a lot as I read them and was moved at times.”
Wes Jorde
Philosophy Faculty
Dakota County Technical College
“It was a pleasure to read all of the student writing submissions this year. There were so many engaging and well-crafted stories by DCTC students. The quality of writing was truly impressive!”
Joe Campbell
English Faculty
Dakota County Technical College
“Reading this year’s submission collection was both eye-opening and inspirational. Every essay and story offered new perspectives or passionate insights or opportunities to explore undiscovered territory.”
Chris Hayes
Senior Writer and Photographer
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College
Learn more about the Creative Arts and Writing Club at DCTC by contacting:
Wes Jorde
Philosophy Faculty
wes.jorde@dctc.edu
651-423-8054
Joe Campbell
English Faculty
joe.campbell@dctc.edu
Learn more about taking English and Philosophy courses at DCTC by contacting:
Admissions
admissions@dctc.edu
651-423-8266
Room 2-110
