SIBLEY — A Lakeside High student has earned two first place writing awards from a regional university.

Deedee shows off her certificates she brought home during the Southern Arkansas University Writing Festival in Magnolia, Arkansas. Courtesy Photo
“We are so proud of Deedee,” Lakeside Principal Denny Finley said. “Her awards are an example of the outstanding quality of students we have in our school.”
Deedee’s story “The Unlikeliest of Friends” earned first place in the Short Story category, and her poem “The Pressure of the Plate” took top honors in the poetry division. The short story is a tale of a young girl whose family moves to a new home in a new town. The girl is lonely and then meets and becomes friend with a ghost who haunts her home.
The winning poem is about a softball player overcoming her fears to hit a game-winning homerun.
“I’m extremely honored to have won in both of my categories,” Deedee said. “Writing has never been my strongest suit, but I owe how far I’ve come to both of my English teachers, Mr. Beavers and Mr. Cole.”
Deedee, 18, lives in Heflin and is the daughter of Matthew Johnson and Sharon Cook and Dustin Cook. She is currently enrolled in Josh Beavers’ English III Honors Class in which she is also earning college credit through Louisiana Tech’s Dual Enrollment program.