Student's description of life in America wins top poetry prize

Manas Karki wrote poetry when he was young as a hobby. But as a first-year international student at Virginia Tech, he penned words that are personal. Karki, who is from Nepal, said adjusting to America isn’t easy for many international students.

His first-place poem in this year’s Giovanni-Steger Poetry Prize competition, “Visa Length,” offers a window into his life and that of other students who shared their experiences with him.

I learned English from exit signs  

and lectures that explained gravity

but never my name.  

my mother packed language into my suitcase –  

verbs without equivalents,  

a word for home that means people,  

not land.

“This was to show the struggles of international students, that you are not alone,” said Karki, an engineering major, after reading his poem to an audience gathered for the annual competition at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg on Wednesday, April 8.

Renowned poet and English Professor Emerita Nikki Giovanni created the competition in 2006, alongside the late Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. It invites undergraduate students of all academic disciplines to submit their written work for monetary prizes. First place receives $1,500, second place $800, and third place $500.  

Giovanni, a University Distinguished Professor who spoke at the competition each year, passed away in 2024, but her legacy lives through the event’s spirit.

This year, there were 88 poetry submissions for 10 finalist slots. The finalists, whose majors ranged from accounting and information systems to computer science and multimedia journalism, read their poetry in front of friends, family, and professors. English faculty also read some of Giovanni’s well-known works, including “Quilts,” “No Complaints,” and “Poetry.”

The written words spanned themes and expressions. 

Gabe DeLuca, a sophomore majoring in creative writing, took second place for his poem “Daisy,” which was inspired by a past relationship.

The third-place poem, “ADHD & Carrots” by Natalie Lanter, represents a stream of consciousness that the poet described as the thoughts of a person with attention deficient/hyperactivity disorder. She is a first-year student majoring in cybersecurity management and analytics who said she has always loved writing, especially longer prose. 

Giovanni’s vision for the competition was clear.

“Even if you’re not creative writers, you can be poets,” said Khadijah Queen, associate professor of creative writing at Virginia Tech and the competition director.

Karki found poetic words to describe adjusting to a new country for his education. He said he chose Virginia Tech because of its engineering program, and he plans to return to Nepal to pursue a career in mining and minerals engineering.

They praise grit here. 

but grit is wiring money home

while eating noodles that taste like an apology.  

grit is translating your life at 3 a.m.

because your parents are awake

and you are not okay  

and time zones are the last bridge.

when they ask

what crossed oceans to arrive here,  

i will say:

not ambition.  

not resilience.

a heart  

that refused

permission.