The way things are going, Aliyah Rodriguez might want to think about a career in writing.
The Northeast Community College student already has an arts degree and is seeking her CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) Drafting degree. Rodriguez said while she enjoys art, she also enjoys interior design, architecture and designing buildings.
And in her spare time, she writes poetry and prose.
The student originally from Norfolk won both the poetry and prose portions of “Voices Out of Nowhere 2025,” which is a collection of the best writing, poetry, and artwork submissions.
“I like to journal a lot,” Rodriguez said. “I have seven different journals, so I journal a lot through my week. Depending on how I am feeling that day, I just jot things down.”
So, what would Rodriguez be doing for her dream job?
“Probably become an architect and build my own house,” Rodriguez said. “Then once I get that all set up, I’d probably do some writing on the side. I like writing, but for now, it’s just a hobby. I write for my own sake and how I feel, and if it relates to other people, I’ll let them read it.”
Rodriguez said she considered 28 selections to enter for her prose and poetry, then went to the Northeast writing center and received some help choosing her best work.
Bonnie Johnson-Bartee, Northeast English instructor and Visiting Writers Series coordinator, oversees the annual Voices out of Nowhere book that started in the 1970s.
Along with students taking turns reading their selections from the book during an unveiling on April 15 in Union 73 , there were several tables of artwork and photography.
The judges for the contest were people who did not know the students, and the students’ identities were hidden as another way to keep submissions anonymous.
The judges were published writers, passionate readers, and a representative from the Norfolk Arts Center. Poetry judges were Scott Abels and Barbara Schmitz. The prose judges were Neil Harrison and Jen Ippensen. Art was judged by Dustin Southwork.
Winners were:
Poetry – 1. Aliyah Rodriguez, “The Weight of Dreams.” 2. Paisley Johnson, “Those Hazy Days.”
Honorable mentions were Kye Privett, “Fire a Burn,” and Kya Swartz, “Innocence in Every Shade.”
Prose – 1. Aliyah Rodriguez, “The Balance of Dreams and Reality.” 2. Emerson Widener, “She’s Not Your Waifu: Hypersexualization in Anime.”
Honorable mentions were Alex Hoferer, “Lost to Time,” Jada Kreikemeier, “Traumatic Mediation,” and Aliyah Rodriguez, “You are What You Love.”
Art – 1. Alea Downing, “Of Value.” 2. Matthew Dilly, “Binx.” 3. Jillian Adams, untitled.
Double-first place winner
Aliyah Rodriguez of Norfolk won both the poetry and prose divisions of “Voices of Nowhere, 2025” a new paperback that contains prose, poetry, artwork, and photographs of Northeast Community College students. It was the first time she had entered any type of writing contest. (Northeast Community College)
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