“Since I began my journey as a poet and rapper, I’ve always dreamed of getting into a position where I could give back to the communities that raised me,” Sarmiento said. “This writing contest is just one way I’m manifesting my goal of energizing and supporting communities I come from.”

The contest opened in February for undergraduates in any major, calling for submissions of original, unpublished written work — whether poetry, spoken word, fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, or screenwriting.

Of the submissions received, the following were selected for prizes of $300, $175, and $150, respectively.

1st place: Elizabeth Elmore for her screenplay “The Many Adventures of Katie Cruz”

2nd place: Mayleen Benjamin for her poem “Thanksgiving”

3rd place: Patricia Padiernos for her personal essay “Do You Understand Me?”

“There was a rawness to the submissions … the writers displayed a strong sense of identity,” Sarmiento said. “The winners were selected because they showed the most command of the language, their pieces had a clear purpose, and the writing style they used executed that purpose [well].”

The winning writers were determined by blind review by a panel of UOG alumni including Sarmiento, Verna Zafra-Kasala, and Carlos Anderson. The judges are each winners or finalists of literary contests themselves as well as published writers.

Minda Reglos, the contest’s namesake, was Sarmiento’s sixth grade language arts teacher at Vicente S.A. Benavente Middle School. She was the first person to ever encourage him to become a writer. The prize seeks to honor her memory and continue the legacy of encouraging young writers to dream, grow, and pursue literary aspirations. 

Sarmiento said he hopes to run the contest again next year.