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Thursday, July 17, 2025

Olson, Smith win Student Poetry Contest

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Black Hawk College issued the following announcement on Oct. 21

Black Hawk College is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2021 and hosted a Student Poetry Contest as part of the celebration. All students were invited to compose a poem on the theme of “What Education Means To Me.”

Upon review of the scoring tally from the five-member judging panel, there was a tie.  Rather than coming up with an idea for a tie breaker, it was decided to announce two winning poems.

Authors Zayne Olson and Joseph Smith read their poems at the 75th Anniversary Celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021.

What Education Means To Me

By Zayne Olson of Cambridge, IL

East Campus student

Education is meant to be a mutual understanding

Something meant for everybody standing

An opportunity that foes can’t oppose us

This isn’t something that we can discuss

My education is just as important

My mind is just as absorbent

As the guy sitting right there

In that chair

We both know what we want to be

Give us that opportunity so that we can be free

I already know what path I want to go

My education will just help me grow

Help me become the person I want to be

Now do you all see?

That’s what education means to me

What Education Means To Me

By Joseph I. Smith of Moline, IL

Quad-Cities Campus student

What does education mean to me?

Take a listen it’s easy to see

Off into the world to make my mark

At a disadvantage without a degree

The future was looking quite dark

Desiring a life with a fulfilling career

To the bursar’s office I did steer

Google doesn’t teach you knowledge

I’m in the right place that was clear

Time to commit and finish college

Tuition was due before the first day

If not for FAFSA I couldn’t have paid

Now I walk down these halls

I’d like to just say

I must focus before my GPA falls

Nothing will stop me from graduation

Spring 2022 brings my culmination

What does education mean to me?

A better written poem that’s error free

Original source can be found here.

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