ISSUED: 12 May 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Hans Fogle
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University has named Cohen Cernoch, a dual enrollment student from Musselman High School in Inwood, West Virginia, as the winner of the 2025–2026 Common Reading Program Student Essay Contest.
Cernoch earned the honor for his essay, “Crushed Under the Mountain: The Pressure to Maintain Manhood in the Shadow of Coal,” written for Dr. Valerie Stevens’s English 101 course. The essay examined themes of toxic masculinity, mental health, and generational expectations in Shepherd’s 2025–2026 Common Read selection, Black Bear Creek, by alumnus Joshua Cross ’03.
As the contest winner, Cernoch will receive a $150 prize to be applied toward his tuition at Shepherd this fall, where he plans to pursue a political science degree.
Stevens praised Cernoch’s analysis and engagement with the text.
“Cohen’s paper was a thoughtful analysis of how toxic masculinity led to suppressed emotions, mental health issues, and broken relationships in Black Bear Creek,” Stevens said. “I was particularly impressed by Cohen’s ability to put Cross’s stories in conversation with each other and weave the Common Reading event throughout his paper.”
Stevens also highlighted the impact of Cross’s campus visit on students in her English 101 course.
“Cohen attended a small group conversation with Cross, and it was a pleasure to see him ask questions about masculinity that ultimately made their way into his paper,” Stevens said.
Cernoch said he was honored that the essay resonated with readers and judges.
“I’m just glad other people could see and connect with the ideas of toxic masculinity being generationally reinforced in coal communities,” Cernoch said. “As a dual enrollment student, I’m honored and proud to have received recognition for work I dedicated myself to.”
Each spring, students may submit essays inspired by the University’s Common Read selection. Essays written for class assignments are eligible and are evaluated by a panel of Shepherd faculty members.
The Common Reading Program Student Essay Contest is co-sponsored by the Shepherd University Foundation and the Department of English, History, and Modern Languages.
To learn more about Shepherd University’s Common Reading Program, visit https://www.shepherd.edu/commonreading.
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