Kelli Sellers, a senior at Montevallo High School, recently won an award scholarship through the 21st annual 2016 Alabama High School Literary Arts Awards and Scholarship Competition (HSLAA).

This year’s competition included the $500 cash prize Senior Portfolio Scholarships, which were awarded to seven recipients, and the outstanding student literary magazines.  Sellers, pictured on the far left, was selected as the winner of the Katherine W. and Byrd T. Thompson Scholarship.  Other winners included Anna Smith, Pelham High School, the Leah Marks Memorial Scholarship; Natalie Lett, Briarwood Christian High School, Curnutt Family Scholarship; Adelaide Kimberly, Mountain Brook High School, Lindsey Stricklin Scholarship; Madeline Pratt, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Mozelle Purvis Shirley Scholarship; and David Hobdy, Indian Springs School, Alabama Writers’ Forum Scholarship. (Not pictured: Makayla Smith, Booker T. Washington Magnet School, the Ruth and Jay Ott Scholarship.)

A luncheon was held to honor the students, their families, teachers, and guests on March 16 in the Old Supreme Court Archives Room at the Alabama State Capitol. As has been the practice for more than fifteen years, legislators representing the districts where the winning schools are located were invited to meet their constituent winners. Senator Cam Ward and Representative April Weaver were on hand to meet and congratulate Sellers.

“Most of these young people here today are seniors,” said Forum Executive Director Jeanie Thompson as she welcomed the students and their guests. “You’re at the point in your life where you’ll move forward, and we welcome you here today as our future literary talent.”

Al Head, Executive Director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts, also remarked on the talent of those in the room and the people who nurtured that talent.

“I would like to offer a big thank you to you parents,” he said. “And a special thank you to the dedicated teachers here. We have some bright students, teachers, and schools in the state that are shining examples to the nation. You all have a talent, have a skill; and as seniors, you’re moving up to new and better things.”