AIM Higher, Inc. Announces The David Wade Hogue Poetry Scholarship

Two poetry awards benefit struggling mothers

“As a kid, Dave loved space exploration—we grew up in the heady days of Gemini and Apollo—and he never lost that fascination.”

— Kim Noriega

WEST HURLEY, NY, UNITED STATES—Two new scholarships—The Martha Award and the Rocket Man Award—will be given this year in honor of David Wade Hogue to a poet who is a struggling mom. Mr. Hogue passed away after a long battle with cancer in October 2021. Thanks to generous gifts from AIM Higher’s Board President Kim Noriega and Advisory Board Member Bobbi Esmark, the awards come when Covid 19 has taken a disproportionately high toll on mothers, particularly single ones.

Ms. Noriega says, “David Wade Hogue (Dave) and I grew up together in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio and were friends for over 50 years. Even when our life paths diverged, we’d reconnect as if we’d never missed a beat. As a kid, Dave loved space exploration—we grew up in the heady days of Gemini and Apollo—and he never lost that fascination.”

The Rocket Man Award includes participation in one of Ms. Noriega’s Poetry Barn workshops, a one-week Poetry Barn residency, and a $500 cash stipend for artist support. The Martha Award—a special nod to Dave’s mom, Martha Hogue, who was a poetry lover—consists of a four-month mentorship with Ms. Noriega and a $500 cash endowment.

Ms. Noriega adds that “One of Dave and my 'divergent paths' was a particularly dark time in my life when I was in a violent relationship as a young mom, one that Dave came to understand through poems I later wrote about that period of my life. He always expressed regret that he wasn’t close at hand to support me during those tough times. And so, I thought he would love supporting other moms now.”

To apply for the award, please visit https://aimhigher.org/awards/davidwadehogue