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Recent Writing Awards and Honors listed in year awarded:

2008 Mesa Refuge Writing Fellowship

2008 Ellis Henerson Outdoor Writing Award: Second Place, Honorable Mention

2008 Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art, 2008 Contests in Nonfiction: Finalist

2008 Santa Fe Writers Project Annual Literary Awards:  Finalist

2007 XJ Kennedy Award For Creative Nonfiction by Rosebud: Runner up

2007 Ellis/Henderson Outdoor Writing Awards: Second Place, Honorable Mention

2006 Florida Review annual essay contest: First runner up

2006 Flint Hills Review annual essay contest :First Runner Up

2006 Literal Latte' annual essay contest: Second Place

2003 Essay Annual writing award WRRA: First Place

Authored and presented an ongoing six session class  Alverno College Telesis Institute.  Also authored and presented  The Next Step writing workshop at the Spring Writers Festival.

Authored the workshop, Customer Service in Health Care and presented throughout the Midwest for the U.S.

Articles/essays published in  The Flint Hills Review,  The Bennington Review, Inkpot, Home Cooking, Cappers, Big Apple Parent, Wisconsin Academy Review, Western New York Family, The Christian Reader, Home Cooking, Generations, MetroParent, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Shepherds Express Metro, Washington Families, Inscriptions, Blue Moon, The New Colonialist, Earth Island Journal, The Florida Review, Rosebud, and many more. A

 Speaker: has read essays on Wisconsin and Alaska public radio.

 Lecturer:  Carroll College Writing Instructor; Alverno College Great Lakes Writers Workshop and Telisis.

 Columnist for  Generations Magazine and The Muir View

 Corporate writer for newsletters, profiles, policies, public relations, and more.
 Authored nutrition and health writing projects under contract to Riverside Publishing.
 Developed and presented seminars for corporations and the  general public.
 

Education

2004- 2006-MFA in Literature and Creative Writing at the Writing Seminars at  Bennington College

2000 – University Journalism classes
1996—1999 MS Mediation, Magna Cum Laude
1995—Certificate in Quality Management
1986--1988 BSN, Support Area: Professional Communication
1982--1984 ADN Phi Thetta Kappa
1980-1981 Diploma Practical Nursing, Phi Thetta Kappa

Anthologized in 

It’s one of my favorite parts of the day, three p.m.--time to pick-up DJ from kindergarten. I’m his best girl. My oldest daughter, Andrea, no longer needs me to pick her up, and only occasionally acknowledges having parents. She used to get excited about me, just like DJ does now.

Standing at the doorway of the school, he begins the search for me. As his eyes find me, his face turns from solemn to delighted. It’s the same look he gives the train at the Zoo. As soon as he finds a path through the other kids and parents, he runs over and jumps into my arms, simultaneously telling me the news of the day.

“I got to be the helper today. Michael sat next to me. I missed you.” Quick kiss. “Trina threw-up and it smelt really bad. I learned the Stegosaurs had a brain the size of a walnut, no wonder they’re dead.”

On his especially spirited days, I know to get my footing, because while he is airborne he yells: “Monkey hug!” as forty-four pounds of delight slam into me. He lands at my waist, and wraps his legs around. I have to put him down quickly, because my arms can’t contain his joy.

We have other routines too, In the morning, the rule is, it has to be light outside, before he is allowed to wiggle in between his parents for a morning snuggle. He giggles and says nothing as he adjusts his smiling head on the Lion King pillow that he has brought from his room. His sleeping face has lost its baby fat. His long dark eyelashes almost touch the freckles that are scattered over his cheeks and nose. The nose is no longer a little round button, but a boy nose with a tip and little flares to the nostrils. A fountain of dark blonde hair spews out of the crown of his head. He will want me to brush his hair when he wakes up, because “Dad can’t get the sticking-up part to go down.” When he speaks, his baby teeth are beginning to look small between his full red lips.

“I’m going to wear my snow pants today, so I can play wild at recess. My hair looks good, thanks.” After his breakfast with toast, fruit, and Rug Rats cartoons, he’s off to school for seven hours.

We are reunited again at three p.m. Today he is in the back of the line. His eyes meet mine as we smile our jubilant smiles, and wave. There are so many reunions between us that there is no clear path. He runs around them all, choosing to scale a huge mountain of snow, keeping his eyes on me and a smile on his face up the eight foot summit. As he crests the top, he breaks his gaze with me and takes inventory of his position. He is king of the mountain. He jumps up and down and gives the snow bank his joy. By the time finishes and makes his way to me, he awards me a casual greeting.

I’m tempted to feel disappointment and remember Andrea, and her progression away from me. By sixth grade she always seemed angry, although “nothing” was ever wrong. She didn’t want to be seen with me: “Drop me off a block from school.” Her Jr. High news of the day: “It was fine.” She has finished high school, is weeks away from tech school graduation, and is about to move to her first apartment. She forgets to greet me most days and is ready to be out on her own. She loves me, and we will discover our adult relationship after she has established her own territory.

Looking down at DJ, I understand that we two, are on a similar journey. My job now is to find the same joy in watching him jump in the snow as when he jumps into my arms. My job also is to find him more snow banks to happily conquer on his path away from me and toward adulthood. But tomorrow when I pick him up, I pray he’ll jump into my arms one more time.

Amy Jenkins copyright 2000--2008 All rights reserved

Also see AmyLJenkins