Spotlight | by Laura Emery, Field Editor Meet Matthew Mehfoud Virginia Outdoor Writers Association Contest Winner M atthew Mehfoud captured the fanciful imagination of two young friends in his essay " A Kingdom of Our Own, " submitted as part of the Virginia Outdoor Writers Association's (VOWA) annual writing contest. He was honored to win the Cooperative Living Collegiate Undergraduate Writing Award (for best Virginia-specific essay) by writing about his outdoor adventures as a child. Judges selected Mehfoud's essay (with drawing, below) from among dozens of entries written by students at Virginia colleges and universities. Mehfoud attends the University of Virginia and is majoring in computer science. When he's not buried in a book or typing code, he can be found frequenting sporting events. " My goals after UVA involve using both GIS and computer science to work for an environmental engineering firm. I want to stay close to home because of my relationships with my parents and brothers, but I will forever view the world as a kingdom of my own, always there for whenever I am ready to shape it, " he says. Mehfoud expresses appreciation to Cooperative Living magazine and VOWA for the opportunity to share his affinity for Virginia's outdoors with others through his writing. If you're a high school or college student and would like to enter the 2019-2020 VOWA writing contest, visit the website at vowa.org under the " Contests " tab. The Virginia Outdoor Writers Association is a coalition of writers, photographers and video/film producers who strive to increase knowledge and understanding of the outdoors through their craft. 30 | Cooperative Living | October 2019 co-opliving.com PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATTHEW MEHFOUDhttp://www.vowa.org http://www.co-opliving.com