Past Winners
The Paul G. Quinnett Lived Experience Writing Competition honors powerful original writing from individuals whose lived experience offers insight, hope, and a deeper understanding of suicide and suicide prevention. This collection showcases past winners whose voices contribute to awareness, healing, and the shared narrative of lived experience.
2024
- First Place: The Ghost I Became by Alec Williams
- Second Place: Unbroken: Rising from Trauma and Finding Purpose by Caitlin Ruzycky
- Third Place: Sunrises and Sunflowers by Bethany Lemons
2023
- First Place: Untitled by Phoenix Wang
- Second Place: Blindsided by Elizabeth Beasley
- Third Place: Battling the Echoes of Darkness by Emily Bernier
2022
- First Place: Enough by Shawnna Holweger
- Second Place: A Promise by Teresa Theophano
- Third Place: Hurt Child, Fractured Adult by Katrina Garcia
2021
- First Place: Moments of Possible: Queer Joy, Resilience & Community as Suicide Prevention by Silen Wellington
- Second Place: Fragile Like A… by Amanda Stein
- Third Place: The Survivors of Suicide: A Story of Transformational Resilience by Denise Williams
2020
- First Place: Flickering Light by Christy Curro
- Second Place: Are We Ready For This Yet? by Kim Bryan
- Third Place: Once Upon a Craniotomy by Ashley Boyd Fermin
2019
- First Place: Beautiful Swan by Olya Nakonechny
- Second Place: Something Like Happy by Daniel Garcia
- Third Place: Insignificant Moments by Ursula Delgadillo
2018
- First Place: To Feel Myself Beloved by Leah Harris
- Second Place: A Picture Album by Meghan Caughey
- Third Place: Suicide Recovery: From the Floor Up by Laura Mayer
2017
- First Place: Developing Power by Jess Stohlmann-Rainey
- Second Place: The Sentence by Kristin Drouin
- Third Place: The Wicked Awesome Wish List by Tracy L. Medeiros
2016
- First Place: Baltering from Bedlam by Ashley Loftin
- Second Place: The 5 Year Plan by Zachary Kluckman
- Third Place: Reclaiming My Voice by Emily Lupsor
2015
- First Place: Redeemed by Dese’Rae L. Stage
- Second Place: No Title by Tricia Ellis
- Third Place: How It Started by Helen Evrard