By Rick Wright

Staff Writer

Since she’s now been paid for her work, South Portland resident Maureen Blanchard can add the title of professional writer to her resume.

Gov. John Baldacci on June 8 handed Blanchard, 17, a check for $2,500 at the Statehouse in Augusta– her reward for winning the “Governor’s Young Writer of the Year” contest.

In presenting the award to Blanchard, Baldacci said the contest, “celebrates the creativity of Maine’s next generation of writers.”

Because the competition was so keen, Blanchard was surprised but flattered to win. 

“I’m hugely honored by it,” Blanchard said. “Being recognized for anything is great.”

Blanchard, a junior at South Portland High school, won the award for her essay “Familial Geometry.” It’s a personal piece about growing up without her father, who she said left Blanchard and her mother, Jo Ellen, when she was 3 years old.

“Essentially it was about me growing up as an only child with my single mom and just kind of looking at the lack of a father figure in my life,” Blanchard said.

Blanchard said it was not difficult to write about her father’s absence because she had already worked through those emotions earlier in her life.

“At first it was just about me wondering what the implications of not having a father were, but it turned out to be more about what was significant in a family,” Blanchard said.

Initially, Blanchard’s mother was upset because she did not get to read the essay before it was submitted. 

After reading the essay, Blanchard’s mother realized it did not reflect negatively upon her and she gave the piece her approval.

“It wasn’t about anything lacking in her and my relationship,” Blanchard said. “She’s fine with it.”

Blanchard gives her mother great credit for raising her and providing for the family on one income while receiving no child support payments.

“My mom, she’s amazing. She’s a really dynamic woman. She’s done everything that she’s done by herself, by her own two hands. I have an endless amount of respect for her,” Blanchard said.

The essay was originally written for an English class assignment that required students to write a memoir. Blanchard decided to adapt the piece and submit it after Cory Snow, her English teacher, told her about the “Young Writer of the Year” contest.

“She possesses genuine curiosity and intellect that you rarely see in high school students,” Snow said. “Her writing is creative, insightful and it shows strong analysis. It has all the elements you’re looking for in really high-quality writing.”

Blanchard’s work was selected from 183 pieces submitted by students from 62 Maine high schools.

The competition was open to all high school juniors and home-schooled students of the same age. To enter the contest, students had to submit a short story, essay or poem of up to 1,500 words. Blanchard’s piece was just over 1,400 words.

Blanchard has won several writing awards at South Portland High School, including Excellence in English awards during her freshman and junior years.

Blanchard keeps a journal and was yearbook editor in middle school. She likes poetry but prefers writing essays because it gives her a chance to make people think and to offer her perspective on things, she said.

When she’s not writing, Blanchard spends her time running track, cross country and swimming for her high school teams. She’s also been on the debate team.

She’s a member of National Honor Society and Amnesty International. Blanchard enjoys skiing in the winter and sailing in the summer with her mother.

Blanchard plans to go to Maine Maritime Academy after graduating from South Portland and some day she hopes to write the great American novel.

“One of her gifts is a talent to write,” said South Portland High Principal Jeanne Crocker. “A part of her great writing comes from her life experience.”

 Rick Wright can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 237 or news@inthesentry.com.