Hibiscus - Sarah St. Preuve (Shields Mcllwaine Co-Winner)

was born an ocean away

from the soil my mother still dreams in

she speaks

of heat and mango juice on fingertips

while i grow up

with snow biting at my ears

and english folding itself into my mouth

before the native tongue ever got the chance

sometimes

i feel like a hibiscus

trying to bloom

in foreign weather

my petals unsure

if they belong here

but still—

i open

soft, bright, proud

because even far from home

i carry its red in my veins

i am not less

because i grew where the wind is colder

i am that flower

that learned to honor its roots

by blooming anyway

and one day

i hope

my family sees

how fiercely i grew toward them

even across the ocean

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Sara St. Preuve is a senior at the university, majoring in English and minoring in Korean Studies. She plans to pursue her master’s degree in Publishing at Pace University, with a concentration in Digital Publishing, in the coming fall. A curious and multifaceted writer, her work reflects an ongoing journey of growing up in a world that is loud, fast, and endlessly complex. Drawn to many passions, her curiosity often spills beyond boundaries, shaping both her voice and perspective. Living with OCD, she understands that growth is rarely linear, and her writing embraces both the challenges and the resilience that come with that reality. With a balance of tenderness and tenacity, she continues to learn, adapt, and move forward—one imperfect step at a time