SAN MARCOS, CA (November 5, 2024) — Bravura, Palomar College’s literary magazine, was recognized as the best community college literary magazine in the western region – and the third best in the nation – at a national conference of community college educators.
Four student writers for Bravura also received recognition for their contributions to the magazine.
“We are so proud of our students and what they are able to do,” said Palomar College Associate Professor Stacey Trujillo, who along with Associate Professor Clare Rolens teaches the English class in which students produce the magazine each spring semester.
Bravura was named best magazine for the nine-state Pacific-Western region in a competition held by the Community College Humanities Association (CCHA). It placed third nationally among all entries to the CCHA literary magazine contest.
Also winning individual awards in the Pacific-Western division were these Palomar College students:
● Sophia Segerstrom, a tie for third place for best short stories. Segerstrom was valedictorian for the 2024 Palomar College graduating class.
● Mattie Hernandez, a tie for third place for best short stories.
● Adel Bautista, second place for best photography.
● Jimena Pacheco, first place for best creative non-fiction.
Trujillo said the magazine is put together in a 16-week class, in which students handle all the aspects of production ranging from seeking submissions, deciding which submissions will be included in the magazine, editing copy and preparing the magazine to be printed.
She said students learn to work collaboratively by putting together the magazine.
“There are always some students who don’t like group work. By the end of the class, they’re meeting with their groups and debating issues,” she said. “It forms more of a community than the average class.”
“I am extremely grateful for faculty members like Professor Trujillo and Professor Rolens, who not only teach our students but inspire them to do their very best work,” said Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey, Superintendent/President of Palomar College. “To gain national recognition is well-deserved for both our faculty and students.”
Students who attended the class said they enjoyed seeing the variety of submissions for the magazine.
“Reading so many students’ work really helped me in my own writing,” said Segerstrom, who is now attending Johns Hopkins University. “It very much motivated me to do creative writing on my own.”
Hernandez, who is now majoring in biology at CSU San Marcos, attended the class in 2023. They said they enjoyed the opportunity to act as an editor. “I always think looking at other people’s writing is good as a writer because you can see other people’s styles,” they said.
Unlike literary magazines at some other colleges and universities, all submissions to Bravura are by past or present Palomar College students or by high school students. Rolens said students examine other literary magazines at the start of the semester.
“They look at samples and then they come together and put their own personal spin on it,” she said. “We’re unlocking the individuality of each of the students.”
